Visitor volume, spending top pre-pandemic levels
BALTIMORE, MD (November 8, 2023) – More than 43.5 million people visited Maryland in 2022 and spent $19.4 billion, topping pre-pandemic levels, according to an economic impact report released today by the Maryland Department of Commerce Office of Tourism. In total, the economic impact of tourism was $30.3 billion and generated $2.3 billion in state and local taxes, saving each Maryland household $1,000 in annual taxes. The report also found that tourism is the 10th largest private-sector employer in the state and supports more than 187,000 jobs. The largest employers within the tourism sector are the food and beverage industry (52,373 jobs), followed by the lodging industry (22,972 jobs). The sector accounts for 1 in 20 jobs in Maryland, with workers in the industry earning nearly $10 billion in wages. The report was prepared by Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company that measures tourism spending and economic impact.
“Tourism in Maryland continues to be a significant economic engine and job creator, but it also drives our state’s outstanding quality of life which keeps visitors returning again and again,” said Governor Wes Moore. “We are excited to see both visitor volume and spending has rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, showing the resiliency of tourism as a critical industry.”
The Maryland Office of Tourism continues to concentrate its marketing efforts and expenditures in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg/Lancaster and York, New York metro, Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. These efforts have helped to increase overnight visitors, which increased 15 percent to 17.6 million last year.
“Maryland’s Office of Tourism has worked tirelessly to create a number of unique experiences which make our state a must-see travel destination,” said Maryland Commerce Secretary Kevin Anderson. “This report is evidence of the hard work by our tourism professionals to promote our many tourism assets and welcome visitors back to Maryland.”
"Our office has focused its efforts on marketing and promoting the things that make Maryland unique, such as the Most Powerful Underground Railroad Storytelling Destination in the World; the Chesapeake Bay; Fish and Hunt Maryland; our Trail System Second-to-None; and our Scenic Byways," said Liz Fitzsimmons, managing director of the Maryland Office of Tourism. "These assets have helped us continue to deliver a $30 to $1 return on the state’s advertising efforts."
