Assistant Secretary of Commerce Tom Riford spoke at the ribbon cutting for the Western Maryland Rail Trail (WMRT) extension (Phase 4) on June 1. The WMRT runs from near Fort Frederick State Park in Washington County to Little Orleans in Allegany County. The WMRT is a prime recreational activity for the region attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors, with the completed section stretching more than 26 miles and paralleling the C&O Canal. Created as a joint NPS and DNR project, the WMRT was welcomed by community and business leaders, and the paved, linear trail is suited to anyone seeking a pleasant, leisurely outdoor experience including walking, running, biking, and inline skating. The easy grade and paved surface make this trail ideal for families, the elderly, and persons with limited mobility. The WMRT is wheelchair accessible and leashed pets are permitted on the trail.

Pictured: Assistant Secretary of Commerce Tom Riford (Center) at the WMRT extension (Phase 4) ribbon cutting.

AAA Mid-Atlantic estimated that 918,000 Marylanders got away over the Memorial Day holiday weekend from Thursday, May 23 through Monday, May 27. The total represents a 3.4 percent increase over last year, and a new record according to AAA, which has been tracking Memorial Day weekend travel since 2001. 2019 also marks the fifth consecutive year Maryland exceeded 800,000 travelers. AAA estimates that 89 percent of Maryland Memorial Day travelers drove — a 3.4 percent increase — while the largest increase was in air travel with an estimated 74,500 Marylanders flying over the Memorial Day holiday, a 5.2 percent increase over 2018.

Ocean City Mayor Richard Meehan joined AAA Mid-Atlantic and law enforcement officials on May 22 to kick off the unofficial start to the summer vacation season. The annual event, which was held at Hemingway’s Restaurant in Stevensville, included AAA travel projections and traffic safety initiatives, including AAA Mid-Atlantic’s recently launched distracted driving campaign, “Don’t Drive Intoxicated. Don’t Drive Intexticated.” The multi-year traffic safety effort seeks to make distracted driving as socially unacceptable as drinking and driving.

Local hoteliers, tour operators and destination marketers joined OTD in representing Maryland at the U.S. Travel Association’s International Pow-Wow (IPW) in Anaheim this week. IPW is the premier industry marketplace and the largest generator of inbound travel to the U.S. OTD and its partners held scheduled meetings with more than 150 domestic and international tour buyers, including group tour organizers and industry decision-makers from around the world with access to millions of travelers from more than 70 countries. “IPW is an unparalleled opportunity for us to join with our private sector partners to invite visitors from the global travel market, and it resonates,” said Rich Gilbert, Travel Sales Manager, Maryland Office of Tourism. “We have a rich history, amazing outdoor opportunities, unique culinary treasures, mountains, big cities, the Chesapeake Bay— and we are Open for Business.”

Maryland has a robust Underground Railroad legacy and many tourism partners across the state have visitor-ready experiences and attractions, interpretive materials, and guides enabling visitors to explore this powerful history and stories of courage. To showcase and to honor Maryland’s freedom fighters who were involved in the Underground Railroad, OTD is gathering all of Maryland’s Underground Railroad assets to include in a new marketing initiative that will launch at the end of August.

If you have an Underground Railroad site, program, or guide you would like to have included in the marketing efforts, please fill out this form. If you have a site or program you would like to have as part of the National Park Service’s Network to Freedom, please contact Heather Ersts at hersts@visitmaryland.org. And stay tuned, throughout the summer there will be more news and information about how to be a part of this exciting announcement and initiative.

A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 6,006,442 visitors to national parks in Maryland spent $202,500,000 in the state in 2018. That spending resulted in 2,573 jobs and had a cumulative benefit to the state economy of $271,200,000. The data was provided as part of a peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis conducted by economists Catherine Cullinane Thomas and Egan Cornachione of the U.S. Geological Survey and Lynne Koontz of the National Park Service. Report authors also produce an interactive tool that enables users to explore visitor spending, jobs, labor income, value added, and output effects by sector for national, state, and local economies. Users can also view year-by-year trend data. The interactive tool and report are available at the NPS Social Science Program webpage.

“The national parks of Maryland attract visitors from across the country and around the world,” said Northeast Region Director Gay Vietzke. “Whether they are out for an afternoon, a school field trip, or a month-long family vacation, visitors come to have a great experience, and end up spending a little money along the way. This new report shows that national park tourism is a significant driver in the national economy — returning $10 for every $1 invested in the National Park Service — and a big factor in our state’s economy as well, a result we can all support.” To learn more about national parks in Maryland and how the National Park Service works with Maryland communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, go to www.nps.gov/MD.

A Public Art Across Maryland project supported by a Public Art Project grant debuted recently in Cambridge — a Harriet Tubman mural entitled Leading the Way, by artist Michael Rosato. The art adorns the Harriet Tubman Museum & Educational Center and was implemented by Dorchester Center for the Arts and Alpha Genesis CDC. The concept for the mural went through several iterations with the community and resulted in Rosato painting Tubman extending her hand and reaching out of the building, inviting visitors in to learn the history of enslaved individuals. The public artwork became interactive when a young girl reached out to touch Tubman’s hand — a moment captured in a social media photo and shared worldwide.

On May 20, Catherine Batavick, Project Manager, OTD, attended the 10th Annual Maryland Green Registry Leadership Awards held at the annual conference of the National Association of Environmental Professionals at the Lord Baltimore Hotel in Baltimore. Presented by Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Ben Grumbles, the Awards recognize the top five member organizations that have shown a strong commitment to sustainable practices, measurable results, and continual improvement. OTD is proud to announce that four out of the five winners are in the tourism industry. Congratulations to the Baltimore Convention Center, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, the Inn at Horn Point, and Founding Farmers Restaurant Group. In addition, Pearlstone Retreat and Conference Center was designated as a member of the 2019 Maryland Green Registry Leadership Circle by demonstrating their commitment to continued improvement through significant new sustainable practices and results.

Please be sure to notify OTD's Casey Keyfauver if your property receives certification, or include the information on your Destination Maryland application. If your company wants to get started in greening your organization or is looking to push your environmental program to the next level, we encourage you to join the Maryland Green Registry.

Pictured: Maryland Department of the Environment Ben Grumbles (center) with 2019 Maryland Green Registry Leadership Award winners.

Maryland’s Summer of Music is in its second year, featuring more than 20 multi-day music festivals across the state, and in an effort to encourage overnight hotel stays, we are asking our partners to create their own packages to celebrate Maryland’s Summer of Music and to brand a local music event as part of Maryland’s Summer of Music lodging package. There is no cost to have your package listed, however we reserve the right to edit your listing for clarity and consistency. The Summer of Music runs from Delfest on Memorial Day Weekend through Sunfest in Ocean City, September 21-22.

Discounted rates are great, but also think about including festival tickets or tying the package into a dining experience or a visit to a local attraction. Packages should be associated with one of the Summer of Music festivals, and you may submit multiple promotions. If you have a package you would like us to include in our promotions, complete this linked Google doc.

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 iHeart radio stations in Maryland and Washington, D.C. and on Baltimore’s WBAL-AM 1090.