The U.S. Travel Association released its latest forecast projecting U.S. travel trends through 2023 and their predictions include a return to growth after a slowdown in 2019 exacerbated by an overall 1 percent decline in international visitation in 2019. The forecast predicts steady increases in international travel beginning with a 2 percent increase in 2020 and climbing to 3.1 percent for 2023, though still expected to lag behind international travel trends abroad. The diminished international travel, however, is buoyed by domestic travel growth expected to grow at a moderate rate of 1.4 percent in 2020, and total spending estimated to grow 5.2 percent in 2023, exceeding the pre-slowdown growth. To see the report summation in detail, follow this link.

The Great American Outdoor Show, the largest show of its kind in the world, returns to Harrisburg February 1-9, and OTD will be there supporting our partners and promoting Maryland’s unique hunting and fishing assets. In support of Fish & Hunt Maryland and the Old Line State’s world-class guides and charters, OTD will have a pair of booths, one for fishing and one for hunting. Please stop by and see what Maryland has to offer. For more information on the Great American Outdoor Show, follow this link to their website, and if you have questions regarding Maryland’s participation in advance, email Rich Gilbert, Travel Trade Sales Manager, OTD here.

The U.S. Travel Association’s 2020 Destination Capitol Hill (DCH) event, is being held April 1-2 in Washington D.C. The event is the U.S. Travel industry’s premier legislative fly-in, bringing travel leaders from across the country to the nation’s capital to educate policymakers about the power of travel. The program combines a legislative day on Capitol Hill with advocacy training, guest speakers and peer-to-peer networking. DCH provides delegates with an opportunity to learn about upcoming legislation that impacts travel, to network with peers and to meet with members of Congress to stress the importance of travel as an economic driver. For more information and to register, follow this link to the U.S. Travel Association’s website.

MTC has released three primary objectives for the 2020 legislative session and will work to implement the goals with MTC contract lobbyist Frank Boston III. The 2020 goals are to support performance-based tourism marketing funding including an increase for the Maryland Tourism Development Board to engender market expansion; support for a pro-business environment in Maryland that balances employee rights with the concerns of small business owners and their customers; and support for Maryland’s local DMOs through advocacy on behalf of DMO bond bills. For more information and to read the entire legislative agenda, follow this link to the MTC website.

Destination Maryland 2020, OTD’s official guide to Maryland travel is here and available to order. If you would like bulk copies for distribution of this inspiring glossy magazine, please contact Brandon Chan, Supervisor at Mason Dixon Welcome Center and Fulfilment Operations, via email at brandon.chan@maryland.gov.

TravMedia IMM is a single-day networking and relationship-building event for the media to meet travel and tourism destinations. This year, the event was held in New York City on January 23, where destinations from all over the world had a dedicated table to meet top-level media for appointments to discuss news, events and their destinations. Visit Baltimore, Visit Frederick and the Maryland Office of Tourism were represented at the show. OTD made a number of media contacts and helped journalists understand all that Maryland has to offer.

Pictured left to right: Kelly Nagle and Abigail Vitaliano, Visit Baltimore; Melissa Muntz, Visit Frederick; Matthew Scales, Maryland Office of Tourism

The Maryland Department of Commerce Office of Tourism and the National Park Service are partnering to provide free training for Chesapeake Bay guides, watermen and women, and water-based tour providers. Enhance your tours or create new ones. Engage with experts about Chesapeake Bay nature, heritage, ecology, and stewardship, improve your presentation skills, and discover how to make your tours interactive and engaging for your customers. Upon completion of the training and preparation of a water-based tour with Chesapeake Bay thematic messages, participants will receive official recognition and promotion of their tour business or organization as a Chesapeake Bay Storyteller. A $400 stipend per participant will be provided to help defray costs of attendance, travel and meals. Each session is limited to 20 participants. Once the first 20 spots are filled, other registrants will be put on a wait list, so register now. The Baltimore session is underway. For class dates, registration, and more information on the Southern MD and Grasonville sessions, follow this link.

The Maryland Office of Tourism seeks your input in letting us know your needs as a small and minority business as it relates to technical and promotional assistance. This survey should take no longer than 5 minutes to complete. We request that you complete this form by Jan 30, 2020. Thank you for your time. If you have any questions, please reach out to info.visitmd@maryland.gov. To complete the survey please follow this link here.

How can OTD help spread the word about your attraction or event? "Maryland Mondays" is the perfect way to help us help you. Each Monday, OTD launches a new “Maryland Mondays” ticket give-away program across all of our social media channels, consumer newsletter, and weekly “Maryland Minute” radio spots. Combined, these channels reach thousands of potential customers each week. To find out how to get involved by providing tickets to your attraction for an upcoming "Maryland Mondays," email OTD’s Leslie Troy.

For the latest on events and everything going all around Maryland, view the latest edition of Visit Maryland Now! here.

Each week, the Maryland Minute provides highlights and insights on this weekend’s events around the state. Maryland Minute is featured on Entercom radio stations in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., WERQ on Baltimore’s WBAL-AM 1090.