TFA NEWS IN BRIEF
 

Maryland Public Art Commission Visits Hagerstown Cultural Trail

Governor Hogan Designates Calvert Marine Museum as Maryland State Paleontology Center

Record Number of Marylanders Travel During Memorial Day Weekend

House of Cards Wraps Final Season

Promote Your Event with "Maryland Mondays" Ticket Giveaway

OTD Transitioning from Maryland Green Travel to Maryland Green Registry

The New Maryland Tourism Monitor Is Here

Now Accepting Ad Reservations for Destination Maryland - Official 2019 Visitors Guide

IN THE NEWS
 
 
Maryland Public Art Commission Visits Hagerstown Cultural Trail
 
On May 22, the Maryland Public Art Commission (MPAC) visited the new Hagerstown Cultural Trail. The trail is one of eight catalyst projects in the City Center Plan, a roadmap for downtown development. Public art is being incorporated along the trail route, with more than seven new artwork pieces dedicated in the last two years. MPAC Commissioners were photographed in front of a new mural 'Building Blocks' by artist HENSE, also locally dubbed ‘The Mural of Unusual Size.’ 

Pictured left to right: MPAC Commissioner Rodney Tissue, City of Hagerstown; Liesel Fenner, MSAC; MPAC Commissioners: Elaine Bachmann, Maryland State Archives; Leslie Kahn, Architect, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts; Elizabeth Hughes, Maryland Historical Trust; Catherine Leggett, MPAC Chair; Kathy O’Dell Ph.D., UMBC; Molline Jackson, MNCPPC; Rand Griffin, Corporate Office Properties Trust (Ret.).

 
 
  TFA NEWS IN BRIEF
 
 
 
Governor Hogan Designates Calvert Marine Museum as Maryland State Paleontology Center
 
 
   
On May 15, Governor Larry Hogan signed a bill designating the Calvert Marine Museum as the State Paleontological Collections and Research Center establishing the museum as the official repository of Maryland’s rich and diverse fossil finds and collections. Within the next five years, the museum plans to construct a new paleontology center. The new facility will include the paleo library, collections storage, office space, preparation areas, receiving areas for large fossils and conference space.

In addition to working within the professional paleontological community, the Calvert Marine Museum shares its resources with the public. “We are thrilled that our state legislature and our governor recognize that the Calvert Marine Museum is not just the jewel in Calvert County’s crown,” said Evan Slaughenhoupt, Board President, Calvert Marine Museum. “It truly is a distinguished flagship museum for the state and a renowned tourist destination.”

 
 
 
Record Number of Marylanders Travel During Memorial Day Weekend
 
  Chesapeake Bay Bridge
   
AAA Mid-Atlantic projected nearly 890,000 Marylanders got away over the Memorial Day holiday weekend from Thursday, May 24 through Monday, May 28. The total represents a 4.7 percent increase over last year, and a new record according to AAA, which has been tracking Memorial Day weekend travel since 2001. 2018 also marks the fourth consecutive year Maryland exceeded 800,000 travelers.

“Our forecast shows that more Marylanders than ever will be getting away for the holiday weekend and this year, they will be taking to the roads and the skies in record numbers to get to their destination,” said Ragina Cooper Averella, Manager of Public and Government Affairs, AAA Mid-Atlantic. “As with Americans across the country, Marylanders are being motivated to travel thanks to a stronger economy and growing consumer confidence.”

 
 
 
House of Cards Wraps Final Season
 
  Cast members of House of Cards
   
Tears flowed on Friday, May 26, as House of Cards filmed its last scene of the series at its stage complex in Harford County. The critically acclaimed, ground-breaking series called Maryland home for more than six years. During its run, House of Cards was nominated for 53 Emmy Awards and 8 Golden Globe Awards. Although numbers are not yet available for the final season, over its first five seasons, the series has had an economic impact of nearly $600 million in Maryland, hired more than 2,000 Marylanders per season, and purchased or rented goods or services from more than 2,100 Maryland businesses.

Pictured: House of Cards crew members.

 
 
 
Promote Your Event with "Maryland Mondays" Ticket Giveaway
 
  Maryland Tourism's Facebook page for Maryland Mondays
   
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 giveaway program across all of our social media channels, consumer newsletters, 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.
 
 
 
Maryland Green Travel to Complete Final Transition to
Maryland Green Registry on June 30
 
  Maryland Green Registry Logo
   
If your tourism business would like to continue to be recognized as a green property on the Maryland Office of Tourism (OTD) website, please be sure to complete an application for the Maryland Green Registry before June 30. The application can be found here. All profiles remaining from the Maryland Green Travel (MGT) program will be removed after June 30. Visit the Maryland Green Registry website for more information or to join.

In January 2018 after eight years of managing MGT, OTD began merging the program into the Maryland Green Registry, the State’s standard for green recognition programs. Properties that join the Registry, or any other green recognition or certification program, can have their green profile linked to their listing on OTD's website. Simply provide OTD with the url. Please contact Kat Evans, Database Manager, OTD, to get your green profile linked on your business listin.

 
 
 
The New Maryland Tourism Monitor Is Here
 
  Tourism Works for Maryland Logo
   
The latest Maryland Tourism Monitor shows strong, continued growth in several areas. Social media followers have climbed by 19 percent and Welcome Centers have seen a 13 percent rise in visitation through FY18 thus far. These numbers combine with a 119 percent increase in digital referrals by OTD assets to our partners year-over-year.

Revenues from tourism tax codes have also shown strong improvements with restaurants, lunchrooms and delicatessens showing an 8.6 percent rise; restaurants and night clubs a 5.3 percent rise; and general merchandise rising 14.7 percent year-over-year. To see the entire report, follow this link.

 
 
 
Now Accepting Ad Reservations for Destination Maryland - Official 2019 Visitors Guide
 
  Destination Maryland - Maryland's Official Visitors Guide
   
The all-new, official Destination Maryland guide presents our tourism partners with a unique, powerful opportunity that is 100 percent focused on visitation to Maryland—and there is no better time to speak to its large audience than when they are actively planning their visit to the state. Destination Maryland is sent by request to highly qualified consumers who are actively planning a Maryland vacation—most often a long one. In addition to 250,000 printed copies distributed, the guide will also be available as an interactive e-book with click-through to an advertiser's landing page.

Contact Carly Stedman for rates and details: carly.stedman@milespartnership.com, 202-681-8169 or go to http://industry.visitmaryland.org/marketing-advertising/advertising-marketing-opportunities/.

 
 
 
 
 
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