On Wednesday, June 4, the St. Mary’s County Division of Tourism conducted a Breakfast Meeting and Rollout for Maryland’s 375th Birthday Celebration in 2009.
Members of the tourism community and local government officials were in attendance of the event that included an overview of the area’s tourism and reasons for promoting St. Mary’s County tourism within the state and beyond.
The meeting was kicked off with introductions from Carolyn Laray, St. Mary’s County Tourism Manager followed by brief presentations from Bob Schaller, Director, Department of Economic & Community Development and Bill Scarafia, President/CEO of St. Mary’s County Chamber of Commerce.
Emphasis was put on the fact that St. Mary’s County tourism holds a stronger place within the Maryland tourism picture, but things like identity, communication, and sharing of ideas can only make it better. One of the examples of this approach was the several St. Mary’s County advocates that are now in the welcome centers because of training that was provided to them on what to do and see in St. Mary’s County.
The presentation continued to include a picture of the economic impact of tourism in Maryland with Southern Maryland specifics. St. Mary’s lags slightly behind its sister counties of Charles and Calvert but it is strongly believed that this can change and only improve with better branding and in light of next year’s birthday celebration.
A break from the presentations brought an introduction and announcement of the 2008 St. Mary’s County Tourism Ambassador award which was awarded to Mr. Rob Plant of Blue Wind Gourmet. The award is an honor given to a person who has gone above and beyond in promoting tourism within their community. After a brief introduction of all the great things Mr. Plant has done for local tourism, he was honored with a framed award and gift certificate.
The presentation resumed with an Office of Tourism presentation on marketing to groups immediately followed by the 375th Birthday Celebration Rollout. Special tourism guides and event coordination are planned through support of the St. Mary’s County Division of Tourism, Maryland Life Magazine and other tourism industry partners in the Southern Maryland community.
Persons in the tourism industry, who may be able to offer specials, coordinate events or partner with the Celebrate 375 effort are encouraged to contact the St. Mary’s County Division of Tourism. 23115 Leonard Hall Dr, PO Box 653 Leonardtown, MD 20650 301-475-4200 ext. 1404 / Fax 301-475-4414 www.stmarysmd.com/tourism