Services Maryland Tourism Provides for Travel Journalists
The public relations team at Maryland’s Office of Tourism Development is happy to assist travel journalists who want to research or visit the state. Among the services we provide journalists are the following:
PHONE OR E-MAIL CONSULTATIONS: If you’re not sure where it is you want to go or what it is you want to do, we’ll be happy to talk you through it. We can provide all kinds of suggestions and help you transform a spark of an idea into a truly great story. In addition, we maintain a clearinghouse of brochures about destinations, attractions, accommodations and restaurants throughout the state, so you can have information at your fingertips in a heartbeat.
PRESS TOURS: We occasionally organize group press trips for journalists who prefer to explore regions in this manner. More often, though, we custom-design individual itineraries for journalists who want to explore the state at their own pace. Whether it’s as simple as getting you in for a sneak peek at the latest exhibit at the National Aquarium in Baltimore or as complex as getting you up at 4 a.m. to go crabbing with a Chesapeake Bay waterman, we’ll take care of the details. We’ll work out the logistics, find accommodations, and put you in touch with all the people who can guide you, answer your questions and generally make your life easier. And if you decide you want some company on your journey, we’ll even serve as your personal guide.
IMAGE LIBRARY: We maintain a library of images – in 35-mm slide and digital format – from sites throughout the state. So if you’ve written a great story that needs some art in order to really sell, check with us. We lend our materials to travel journalists and publications free of charge.
EDITING AND PROOFREADING: Whether you’re updating a guidebook or selling a story based on the trip you took a year ago and want to check some facts, we’re happy to look things over and let you know what’s open, what’s closed, what phone numbers and web sites to use . . . everything!
