TFA NEWS IN BRIEF
  BWI Business Partnership Meeting

OTD and Industry Partners Attend ABA Marketplace 2019

OTD Releases New Historic National Road Byway Video

Celebrate Maryland’s Craft Beer Industry with FeBREWary Events

Update Your Site with Revamped Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Scenic Byway Video

Register Now for Maryland Arts Day and Tourism Day in Annapolis

Promote Your Event with "Maryland Mondays" Ticket Giveaway

IN THE NEWS
 
 
BWI Business Partnership Meeting
 
On January 18, as part of their monthly Signature Breakfast Series, the BWI Business Partnership invited leading regional members of Maryland’s tourism community to participate in a panel presentation for their membership. Liz Fitzsimmons, Managing Director, Maryland Office of Tourism, Film & the Arts, joined Al Hutchinson of Visit Baltimore, Connie Del Signore of Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County, and Amanda Hof of the Howard County Tourism Council to speak on the impact of tourism on the BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport region. “This is a really important group of people for us to be in front of,” said Fitzsimmons. “We’re here to listen, and to talk about what we all can do as partners to facilitate travel and promote Maryland as a destination.”

Pictured, left to right: Liz Fitzsimmons, Managing Director, Maryland Office of Tourism, Film & the Arts; Al Hutchinson, President & CEO, Visit Baltimore; Connie Del Signore, President & CEO, Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County; and Amanda Hof, Executive Director, Howard County Tourism Council.

 
 
  TFA NEWS IN BRIEF
 
 
 
OTD and Industry Partners Attend ABA Marketplace 2019
 
  Maryland tourism industry reps at ABA
   
Rich Gilbert, Travel Trade Sales Manager, OTD, joined representatives from the Maryland tourism industry in attending the 2019 American Bus Association (ABA) Marketplace in Louisville, KY. The ABA represents more than 1,000 motorcoach and tour companies in the U.S. and Canada, and their annual marketplace is the premier trade event for the industry. Bus and group tourism is an important revenue stream for Maryland, and the annual marketplace is a great opportunity for Maryland businesses and OTD to meet one-on-one with tour providers from across the nation. Previous ABA marketplaces have provided solid returns in booked tours, thanks in part to innovative programs like Maryland Made Easy, which was developed by Gilbert to provide packaged tour itineraries for group tour operators. Representatives from more than 50 Maryland partners were on hand to promote their destinations, attractions, hotels and dining facilities, and Gilbert expects strong bookings and activity in the weeks and months following ABA.

Pictured: Maryland tourism industry partners at the 2019 ABA Marketplace

 
 
 
OTD Releases New Historic National Road Byway Video
 
  Historic National Road Byway Video image
   
In the February 6 edition of Visit Maryland Now, the Maryland Office of Tourism will be introducing consumers to the newest offering in our growing collection of experiential videos that showcase our 18 Maryland Scenic Byways. The video features a road trip that covers the eastern portion of the Historic National Road, beginning at the Visitors Center in Baltimore's Inner Harbor and ending on the Cultural Trail in Hagerstown. Stops along the way include parks, museums, attractions, inns and eateries in Baltimore, Oella, Ellicott City, New Market, Frederick, Boonsboro, Funkstown and Hagerstown. Click here for a full list of all the filming partners who were instrumental in making this video happen - thank you all. This newest production joins its sister video, produced last year, which covers the western portion of the Historic National Road, stretching from Hagerstown to Grantsville. The Historic National Road byway and the two videos will be highlighted in a feature in our pre-Valentine's Day newsletter encouraging taking a Romantic Journey along Maryland's Historic National Road. If you are located on the byway, please be sure to embed, link, like and share the video. To view these videos, and others in our Maryland Scenic Byways series, click here.
 
 
 
Celebrate Maryland’s Craft Beer Industry with FeBREWary Events
 
 
   
FeBREWary is Maryland’s official, month-long celebration of our craft beer manufacturing industry, and with events on tap across the state, it’s the perfect time for a beer lover's getaway. Breweries, ale houses and brew pubs are open across the state, and many hotels are offering FeBREWary packages. From the mountains to the beach, FeBREWary in Maryland is the perfect opportunity to hoist a pint with good friends in great places. For a listing of events, packages and special beer releases by Maryland breweries, go to VisitMaryland.org’s official FeBREWary page.
 
 
 
Update Your Site with Revamped Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Scenic Byway Video
 
 
   
The video for OTD’s Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Scenic Byway has been updated with new content and a new embed link to go with it. If you are currently using the video as embedded content or a link, please update to the latest version linked here. If you are located along the byway and you haven’t already utilized this OTD content, please be sure to embed, link, like and share this valuable promotional tool.
 
 
 
Register Now for Maryland Arts Day and Tourism Day in Annapolis
 
  Picture of a sunset over Annapolis. Photo provided by Matthew McKinney
   
Arts and Tourism advocates are planning their annual industry days in Annapolis, with Maryland Arts Day set for February 14 and Maryland Tourism Day set for February 15. Produced by Maryland Citizens for the Arts (MCA), Maryland Arts Day brings stakeholders together with lawmakers to provide an opportunity for dialogue on the importance of arts and arts funding to Maryland. The event also features the presentation of the Sue Hess Arts Advocate of the Year Award and an address by keynote speaker Stephanie Ybarra, Artistic Director, Baltimore Center Stage. For more information, Arts Day Scholarship Opportunities, and to register, follow this link to the MCA website.

Maryland Tourism Day is sponsored by the Maryland Tourism Coalition (MTC) and the Maryland Association of Destination Marketing Organizations, and provides an opportunity for tourism advocates to meet with their representatives to discuss the importance of tourism to the Maryland economy. To register, and for a full schedule including information sessions, door-to-door visits with legislators, and the presentation of the Tourism Advocate Award, follow this link to the MTC website.

 
 
 
Promote Your Event with "Maryland Mondays" Ticket Giveaway
 
  Enter to win a pair of tickets to The Columbia Orchestra: The Maestro's Anniversary! Saturday, February 9, 7:30pm, Jim Rouse Theatre, Columbia
   
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.
 
 
 
 
 
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  IN THE NEWS
 
 
 
OTD’s Matt Scales Promotes National Plan Your Vacation Day on Baltimore’s WJZ-TV
 
 
   
Matt Scales, a communications specialist with the Maryland Office of Tourism, sat down with WJZ-TV morning hosts Tim Williams and Linh Bui to talk about great trip planning options in Maryland for National Plan Your Vacation Day.
 
 
 
 
 
Maryland Travel Tips
 
For the latest on events and everything going all around Maryland, view the latest edition of Visit Maryland Now! here.
 
 
 
Maryland Minute
 
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.