Who’s excited about Tourism Day in Maryland?

I’m in Annapolis today, all set to charm those legislators into seeing the light— Investing in Tourism is where it’s at!

Here’s a little math magic: for every single buck we throw at tourism marketing, we get back 34 bucks in tourist cash. ?Cha-ching! That’s like an impressive $20.5 billion in visitor spending raining down on Maryland, effectively shaving off $1,027 from each household’s state tax bill. ?

But here’s the kicker. Maryland spent a mere $15.5 million on tourism in 2024. Meanwhile, our savvy neighbors have been splurging between $24.5 million and $45 million, snatching away those tourist dollars. Time to up our game to make those cash registers sing!

Investing in tourism is like finding a golden crab cake—Maryland just can’t pass it up!