Members from the Maryland Tourism office recently presented their annual tourism update as part of the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce’s Business Before Hours series. The tourism update is usually held in the fall of each year. This year’s presenters included Assistant Secretary of the Division of Tourism, Film, and the Arts Tom Riford and Managing Director, Department of Commerce Office of Tourism and Film Liz Fitzsimmons.
Riford addressed the room first, highlighting the importance of the tourism industry for the state of Maryland. As the 4th largest industry in the state, tax payers see the benefits of a healthy tourism economy through spending and taxes. Riford also complimented Wisp Resort General Manager Ron Hawkes, who was part of the Maryland Tourism Recovery Task Force that helped the state re-open safely in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the ongoing efforts within the state is to highlight and promote the outdoor assets Maryland offers. It’s no secret that Deep Creek Lake and Garrett County offer many wonderful and unique outdoor assets!
Fitzsimmons presented next, showcasing statistics for the state of Maryland and Garrett County from 2020 and 2021 and covering some of Maryland’s tourism goals and initiatives. While almost every county across the state saw dramatic decreases in the tourism industry, Garrett County thrived. Garrett County saw a 37% increase from F20 to F21 for lodging tax collected. In FY21, Garrett County collected an impressive $7,413,065 in lodging tax. These are funds that stay in Garrett County and will go on to help fund pending county projects.
Fitzsimmons mentioned four strategic pillars Maryland Tourism uses when looking forward. First on their list is leveraging partnerships. One of the ways they are accomplishing this is working with Garrett and Allegany Counties to focus on lifestyle manufacturing. The second pillar mentioned was market expansion. This includes using surveys that monitor demographic and geographic characteristics for travelers to Maryland. One of the studies showed a 10% increase in travel by car post-pandemic, which led Maryland to feature and highlight the scenic byways. You can see many of the Maryland scenic byway signs around Garrett County! The third pillar focused on maximizing opportunities. Fitzsimmons said that this focused mainly on viewing past successful events to implement in the future and looking at possible grants. The final pillar was transactional outcomes. This will focus on initiatives and campaigns to increase tourism in the state, like the new ‘Home for the Holidays’ and ‘Open for Business’ campaigns.
Fitzsimmons also touched on the many important relationships within the local community and government offices that help promote Maryland and Garrett County, including the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Heritage Area Groups, and the Maryland Outdoor Recreation Office.
While it’s not a surprise to hear that Garrett County has had a stellar past two years, despite the pandemic, we are happy to see how well our county performed in relation to the other Maryland counties. As the western-most county in Maryland, Garrett County is not usually top-of-mind for legislators or government organizations. The support from the Maryland Tourism Office is important for funding, exposure, and having a voice!
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