Also reports increases over pre-pandemic levels in key accommodation and restaurant sectors
Tourism industry supports Marylanders with nearly 113,000 jobs
ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Larry Hogan announced today that, according to a economic impact report released by the Maryland Department of Commerce, the state’s tourism industry continues its strong recovery, recouping nearly 90% of visitor spending before the pandemic. Additionally, the state reported increases over pre-pandemic levels in key accommodation and food service sectors. The state continues to experience a strong economic recovery overall, including a unemployment rate below pre-pandemic levels.
“This report is another milestone showing that Maryland is experiencing one of the strongest recoveries in the nation,” Governor Hogan said. “The hard work and resilience of our hundreds of tourism professionals, along with the aggressive efforts of our Maryland Tourism Board to promote new ways to enjoy our state and its resources, have brought visitors back to Maryland from considerable way.”
“Maryland’s tourism industry is well positioned and open to welcoming visitors to our state,” said Maryland Secretary of Commerce Mike Gill. “We intend to continue to finish strong with the tourism industry leading the recovery in visitor spending and job creation.”
The report also showed that spending by overnight visitors increased by nearly 6%, from $784 in 2019 to $830 in 2021. Comparing 2021 to 2020, the report found that visitor spending increased increased by 42%, from $11.6 billion in 2020 to $16.4 billion in 2021. international visitors also increased, reaching 35.2 million in 2021 from 24.7 million the previous year.
Another key measure of economic output is “sales and use tax,” as reported by the Comptroller of Maryland. This is reported on a fiscal year rather than a calendar year and it also signals increases in two important sectors of the tourism industry, taking into account inflationary pressures:
Accommodation:
FY 22 vs FY 21 increased by 170%
FY 22 vs FY 19 increased by 10%
Restaurant:
FY 22 vs FY 21 increased by 97%
FY22 vs. FY19 increased 31%
“One of the reasons for the takeover was the Maryland Tourist Board‘s continued marketing efforts promoting the ‘Big Five’: the world’s most powerful Underground Railroad storytelling destination; Chesapeake Bay; fish and hunt Maryland; Unparalleled trail system; and Scenic Byways,” said Liz Fitzsimmons, executive director of the Maryland Office of Tourism. “These truly ‘only in Maryland’ experiences have proven successful in the past – we rely on them to guide our efforts and will continue to rely on them in the future.”
The Maryland Office of Tourism is an agency of the Maryland Department of Commerce. Visitors to the state spent $16.4 billion on travel-related expenses in 2021. Maryland’s tourism industry also generated $2.1 billion in state and local taxes, essentially saving every household in the Maryland $923 in annual taxes and has directly supported Marylanders with nearly 113,000 jobs. For more information, visit www.visitmaryland.org.
-###-
