On October 15, Governor Larry Hogan announced SHOWTIME will shoot the The President is Missing series pilot in Maryland. The pilot is based on the New York Times bestselling novel by President Bill Clinton and James Patterson. The production, which is expected to begin filming in early 2020, will star actor David Oyelowo, and is helmed by Oscar-winning writer Christopher McQuarrie. “We are thrilled that SHOWTIME will shoot the pilot for The President is Missing in Maryland, and we are hopeful that it will become another successful series for our state,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “Maryland offers an outstanding destination for filming, with a highly-skilled crew base, talented actors, and a variety of locations that can easily double as our nation’s capital.”

If The President is Missing is selected to become a full series, the Maryland Film Office – an agency of the Maryland Department of Commerce – believes it could have a similar impact on Maryland’s economy as the Netflix series House of Cards. During its six seasons of production in Maryland, House of Cards had a total economic impact of $700 million, hired more than 2,000 Maryland residents per season, and utilized more than 2,000 Maryland businesses with purchases or rented goods/services per season. “The President is Missing could provide an incredible impact on Maryland’s economy if it becomes a SHOWTIME series, including the potential for new jobs and additional revenue for local businesses throughout the region,” said Maryland Commerce Secretary Kelly M. Schulz. “We look forward to working with the network as they produce their pilot in Maryland next year.”

There’s nothing like coming home to Maryland for the holidays, but this year, why not make that homecoming a little sweeter with just a bit of space? OTD’s “Home For the Holidays” campaign encourages travelers to get the best of both worlds: great times with family, and the ease and comfort of a hotel stay. Sure beats sleeping in your nephew’s race-car bed! OTD and its partners have developed hotel packages, and OTD will be supporting the effort with digital advertising and a social media campaign. For more information about “Home For the Holidays” hotel packages, email Rich Gilbert, Travel Trade Sales Manager, OTD, at rgilbert@visitmaryland.org. To register your "Home For the Holidays" discount package deal, click here.

OTD, in conjunction with Capital Region USA (CRUSA), brought five influential British journalists to Maryland for three days as part of a targeted “Small Towns & Unique Neighborhoods” familiarization tour. The Maryland portion of the tour featured LIVE! Casino & Hotel, downtown Annapolis, Havre de Grace, Fair Hill, Chesapeake City, and North East, and continued CRUSA and OTD’s push to promote The Great Chesapeake Bay Loop, a tourism initiative designed to promote travel throughout the entire Chesapeake Bay region.

Pictured: Susan Seifried, Vice-President of Public Relations and Communications, Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County (left); and John Jones, Global Sales Manager, Live! Casino & Hotel (second from right), join UK journalists on the casino floor.

British publication Family Traveler is holding a public vote for its fifth annual Family Traveler Excellence Awards, and Maryland’s Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center is the only North American site nominated in the “Learning & Enrichment” category. The Tubman center was nominated by OTD through its partnership with CRUSA, and is part of OTD’s strategy to increase overseas travel to Maryland. In only its third year of operation, the Harriet Tubman Visitor Center has exceeded expected visitation projections, and with the pending release of Harriet, the first major motion picture based on the American hero and civil rights icon, visitorship is expected to increase. To see all of the nominees, and to vote, follow this link to the Family Traveler Excellence Awards website. Voting is open through November 5.

Capital Region USA (CRUSA), the official regional destination marketing organization promoting Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia to international travelers, is hosting its annual Global Summit on international marketing October 24 in Alexandria, VA. The event features the latest news and research on overseas visitation, tips and trends for international marketers, updates on CRUSA's target and emerging markets, and more. This one-day event will allow attendees to meet with CRUSA's overseas representatives and learn best practices for bringing more overseas visitors to your destination or attraction.

The Global Summit will feature the latest economic impact figures on overseas arrivals to, and spending in the Capital Region for 2018, the latest trends and insights for CRUSA’s markets, a chance to meet CRUSA’s overseas representatives, networking opportunities with industry peers from across the region, lunch and prizes. Cost is $100. For more information and to register, follow this link.

The 2019 Maryland Travel & Tourism Summit (MTTS) will be held November 6-8 at the Rocky Gap Casino in Cumberland. MTTS is Maryland’s annual tourism industry conference, which brings together all sectors of the hospitality industry. MTTS offers one-of-a-kind networking and is the ideal opportunity to learn and develop new strategies to advance your business and Maryland Tourism as a whole. The summit attracts more than 250 attendees, acclaimed speakers presenting on industry trends, and interactive learning sessions including an off-site learning lab. For more information and to register, follow this link.

An OTD/Miles Media film crew lead by Catherine Batavick, Communications Project Manager, OTD, wrapped filming on their final byway video of the year in October. The video shoot covered the central portion of the Chesapeake Country Byway, and is the last in a series of three videos covering the Byway. The lower portion was filmed this past July with the upper portion completed in 2017. These three videos, along with the Roots & Tides Byway video, filmed last month, and the recently-released Lower Susquehanna Byway video complete video coverage to accompany OTD's Great Chesapeake Bay Loop initiative. The C&O Canal (West) Byway video, filmed in August, will be one in a series of three videos showcasing the byway with the final two legs slated to be filmed next year. This series of videos, which trace Maryland’s scenic byways and feature engaging destinations along the way, highlight the beauty and warmth of Maryland and its people. OTD would like to thank the National Park Service, Maryland State Parks/DNR, all the DMOs who assisted with their time and resources, as well as many other partners both public and private who have helped make this project a reality. (For a complete list of all participating partners, click here.) Look for these byway videos to be released in spring 2020.

Pictured: Catherine Batavick, OTD, photographing Chesapeake Country talent at Frederick Douglass statue in Easton.

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 Matthew Scales.

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 and on Baltimore’s WBAL-AM 1090.