New water-trail plan to boost 1812 experience
A team of Maryland-based consultants – led by Environmental Resources Management in Annapolis – has received a contract from the Division of Tourism, Film and the Arts (TFA) to forge a plan that enhances the water portions of the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail. The group will make recommendations for improving access, stewardship and interpretive opportunities along the trail – a route that spans the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries (the Anacostia, Patapsco, Patuxent, and Potomac rivers, among them).

A $100,000 federal grant awarded by the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network to TFA is a major source of funding for the project. The advisory group overseeing development of this plan includes: the National Park Service, the Maryland Departments of Natural Resources and Transportation, and TFA. The consultant team is made up of: Toole Design Group; Ayers Saint Gross; EDSA, Inc.; Frank Strategic Marketing; John Page Williams (Chesapeake Bay Foundation); and 1812 historian and author Ralph Eshelman.

Join hospitality advocates at yearly Annapolis event
The Restaurant Association of Maryland (RAM) hosts its 20th annual Taste of Maryland Legislative Reception, Monday, Jan. 18, 5-7:30 p.m., at Loews Annapolis Hotel. Participants will have an opportunity to advocate for the hospitality and tourism industries with members of the state legislature during the opening days of the Maryland General Assembly session.

As the state's eighth-largest private-sector employer, the tourism industry accounts for more than 146,000 jobs and $4 billion in wages and salaries. The $14.5 billion that visitors spend is an important revenue generator for state and local governments. Visitor expenditures create $1.8 billion in taxes that can be invested by state and local governments. Visitor spending is vital to the many small and family-owned businesses that make up 95 percent of the tourism industry.

RAM's partners for the event include the Maryland Tourism Council, the Maryland Hotel and Lodging Association and the Maryland Wineries Association. Register online or contact Marisa Chioini at RAM, 410-290-6800.

ABA event delivers economic surge for host region
The American Bus Association (ABA) estimates that the Capital Region – Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. – will experience a 10 percent to 25 percent yearly increase in motorcoach and group-tour business over the next four years as a result of hosting ABA's 2010 Marketplace, Jan. 15-19 at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Prince George's County. Marketplace is widely viewed as one of the top business and networking events for the group-travel industry.

According to ABA:

• One motorcoach spending one night at a destination translates into as much as $11,660 for that local economy.
• Marketplace typically generates up to $3.5 million for a destination region's hotels, restaurants and retail shops.

Nearly 600 buyers of group tours have registered for this year's edition of Marketplace – a slight increase over last year's event in Charlotte, N.C.

"We are excited to welcome ABA to Maryland," said Christian S. Johansson, secretary for the state's Department of Business and Economic Development. "Marketplace affords us an extraordinary opportunity to showcase Maryland's vibrant appeal as a premier destination."

New policy allows TEP funding for public art
Public-art projects are now eligible for funding through Maryland's Transportation Enhancement Program (TEP). The change in policy permits art installations at transit stations, historic train stations and Transit-Oriented Development zones –areas within a half-mile of a transit station.

Projects must cost at least $100,000 and meet standards for TEP funding in accordance with Federal Highway Administration guidelines. A matching-funds requirement calls for 50 percent of a project's cost to come from non-federal funds. The projects must qualify according to one of 12 categories – usually "landscaping and other scenic beautification"– and relate to surface transportation. Additionally, the Maryland Public Art Commission – administered by the Maryland State Arts Council – must review proposed projects for aesthetic value. Like all public art, these projects must promote a sense of community ownership.

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