Dear Committee Member:
On behalf of Maryland’s robust and dynamic tourism community as represented by the Maryland Tourism Development Board (MTDB), and as a volunteer member of the Maryland Tourism Coalition, I would like to request that you fully fund the Maryland Tourism Development Board (MTDB) and Office of Tourism (OTD) for the FY2019 budget cycle.
This allocation represents an increase of $1 million over the previous year’s funding level. Your support for tourism provides an enormous boost to an industry that already employs more than 140,000 Marylanders and generates hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity and tax revenue every year. I respectfully request that you not accept the DLS recommendation to flatly fund the Maryland Tourism Development Board.
It’s worth noting that more than 90 percent of tourism businesses are considered small businesses and many of them simply do not have the marketing dollars required to reach potential visitors outside of the region. This investment will provide additional resources that will be used to help showcase all of the unique assets Maryland has to offer guests, including our pristine Atlantic beaches, the ecological wonders of the Chesapeake Bay, the snowy peaks of the Alleghanies, and the cultural and historic treasures of cities such as Baltimore.
Not only that, but tourism promotion has a proven return on investment statewide. For every dollar spent on promotion, marketing, and advertising, Maryland realizes roughly $177 in visitor spending, $25 in state and local taxes, and $5 in state sales tax revenue. Your continued investment in tourism is not only appreciated; it also makes good fiscal sense.
As a member of the MTDB, I pledge to work hard to ensure that the visitor experience in Maryland is an unforgettable one, so that tourism and hospitality continue to be among the state’s most important drivers of economic success.
Respectfully,
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