The Maryland Office of Tourism Development, part of the Maryland Department of Commerce, today announced that tourism in Maryland is on the rise, with 6 percent increases in tourism employee payroll and visitor spending to the State in 2014. These and other insights about the impact of the travel and tourism industry in Maryland are contained within the Fiscal Year 2015 Tourism Development Annual Report.
“Tourism continues to be a powerful economic engine for Maryland,” said Secretary of Commerce Mike Gill. “More than 140,000 Marylanders were directly employed in the tourism industry in 2014, making it the 10th largest private sector employer in the state. These jobs supported a payroll of $5.4 billion, which saw a 6 percent increase from the year before.”
Maryland visitors spent $16.4 billion on travel expenses in 2014, based on The Economic Impact of Tourism in Maryland – Calendar Year 2014 Tourism Satellite Account conducted by Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company. More than 60 percent of visitor spending takes place in three areas: transportation, food and beverage, and lodging. In each of the last three years, visitor spending has grown by more than 3 percent and in 2014 generated another $2.2 billion in state and local tax revenues.
“The Star-Spangled Spectacular, the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships, a sunny summer in Ocean City, and 200 inches of snow in Western Maryland helped make 2014 a banner year for tourism in Maryland,” said Liz Fitzsimmons, executive director of the Office of Tourism Development.
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from http://mdbiznews.commerce.maryland.gov/2016/01/new-report-shows-maryland-tourism-continues-to-rise/
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