Image Credit: Visit Frederick
For the average citizen or out of town visitor, one of the first touchpoints you may have with Visit Frederick is via the Frederick Visitor Center. Centrally located just across from the downtown Frederick MARC station on South East Street. the Visitor Center is a great place to go to find out everything you need to know about Frederick County’s history as well as upcoming events, excursions, and things to do and see. But, Visit Frederick is so much more than a place to find out about the Frederick walking trails and nearby battlefields.
The Tourism Council of Frederick, more readily known as Visit Frederick, is a public-private partnership whose mission it is to enhance the economic benefit of tourism for Frederick County’s businesses, attractions, local governments, and residents. So, sure, helping visitors build an itinerary for their upcoming visit is something they do, but their larger goal is to get even more of those visitors to come here. Once they’re here, they work to ensure there are plenty of enticing and memorable opportunities for them to spend their dollars at Frederick businesses and attractions that offer amazing experiences and quality service. That way, those same visitors are not only encouraged to come back time and time again, but they also tell all of their friends about this beautiful place called Frederick they absolutely must go and visit.
Visit Frederick operates as a member organization offering memberships to all businesses and individuals interested in promoting and supporting tourism efforts in Frederick County. Members also receive several benefits including promotional and networking opportunities. With over 300 members, The Tourism Council of Frederick is a well-supported organization that facilitates numerous opportunities for economic development in Frederick County each year.
As a Partner in Trust member of the Chamber of Commerce, we have numerous opportunities each year to partner with the Tourism Council of Frederick. They are a major part of our Leadership Frederick Program, helping to co-host Frederick County History Day for our aspiring leaders, and they eagerly support many of our programs and initiatives to enhance the business community in Frederick.
If you’re a Frederick local, you maybe haven’t thought much about the significance of the tourism industry to Frederick. But here’s why it’s important: tourism is a thriving part of our local economy that brought over $428 million dollars to our county in 2018 alone. With more than two million people traveling at least fifty miles or more to visit our beautiful Frederick County each year, learning the impact of this industry and where it’s headed in the future is important for every member of this community.
Image Credit: Visit Frederick
6 Things You Need to Know About Tourism in Frederick County
Visitor spending is a significant and growing part of Frederick’s economy.
In 2018, visitors to the area spend $428.3 million dollars in Frederick County which was a 4.4% increase over the 2017 spend total. This isn’t the first year tourism has marked an increase in spending either. In fact, the total spend by visitors to Frederick County has increased each year since 2009.
Visit Frederick isn’t just the place you go to get tour pamphlets and trail maps.
They are also behind a lot of neat and interactive experiences you’ve probably heard about in and around the county. For example, did you know that Visit Frederick partnered with South Mountain Creamery to develop Frederick’s official ice cream flavor: Monocacy Mud. You can grab a taste at Hometown Harvest Kitchen in downtown Frederick.
Visit Frederick also hosts a number of seasonal events throughout the year.
Starting next week you can enjoy Museums By Candlelight, an annual event featuring special programming at some of our local museums. Then, December 26th, you can partake in the annual Candlelight Tour of Historic Houses of Worship, one of Frederick’s most enjoyed holiday walking tours.
The Frederick Visitor Center is an epicenter for out of town visitors and locals alike.
The Visitor Center, located in a beautifully renovated circa-1899 industrial warehouse, holds 2,200-square-feet of interpretive exhibits. A state-of-the-art theater features the award-winning film about Frederick, “A Turn of the Wheel.” A wide variety of maps, guides and information on regional attractions and events are available as well. It is also the location where Downtown Frederick gift cards are exclusively sold. It’s also a great place to get ornaments and greeting cards made by local artists.
The Frederick Visitor Center has welcomed over 119,000 visitors so far in 2019.
Visit Frederick also administers two tourism-related grant programs.
The Frederick County Main Street Communities Cooperative Fund and the Tourism Reinvestment in Promotion and Product Program offer participants an opportunity to apply for additional funding to improve tourism in existing events and areas and to assist in new projects that may generate tourism.
The Tourism Council is board directed and staff administered.
There are six primary staff members working to administer the Tourism Council programs and daily operations. They are supported by a 22-member board including two appointees and two non-voting liaisons.
Frederick Chamber Insights is a news outlet of the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce. For more information about membership, programs and initiatives, please visit our website.