St. Mary’s County

Department of Economic Development

Division of Tourism

Fiscal Year 2014 Report

September 2014

Carolyn Laray, Tourism Manager

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CONTENTS

I St. Mary’s County Division of Tourism Overview ……………………….. 2

Introduction

Mission

Staffing

Program Budget

II Programs ………………………………….……………………………….. 4

Advertising

Group and Packaged Travel

Public Relations

Marketing Activities and Promotions

Website

Electronic Marketing and Social Media

Publications aand Products

Visitor Information Center

III Destination Resource Development ……………………………………… 12

Local Industry Development and Related Activities

Regional and State Partnerships and Activities

Industry Associations

IV Moving forward: Opportunities and Challenges .………………………… 15

V Data and Measurements …………………………….…………………….. 17

Sites and Attractions Visitation

Events Attendance

Visitor Center

Website

Pay Per Click

Social Media

Local Tax Revenue

Tourism Tax Calculation

Distribution

Fulfillments by Lead Source

Fulfillments by State, Ranking Order

Advertising Roster

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I ST. MARY’S COUNTY DIVISION OF TOURISM OVERVIEW

INTRODUCTION

The St. Mary’s County Department of Economic Development Division of Tourism

(SMCT) continued to work to bring the economic benefits of tourism to the county and

members of the local tourism and hospitality industry. FY14 activity highlights include:

SMCT worked with the Maryland Office of Tourism Development’s and the

Maryland War of 1812 Commission’s Chesapeake Campaign, to partner with

Leonardtown and other County sites and attractions to produce the Raiders &

Invaders Weekend, a major event that kicked-off the State’s summer of

commemorative War of 1812 events.

The SMCT website drew almost 200,000 new visitors and delivered close to

100,000 outbound visits from the site to the websites of our local tourism and

hospitality industry members.

Visitors to our sites and attractions as reported, increased by more than 60,000 over

FY13.

Working with its Calvert and Charles County partners and with the Southern

Maryland Heritage Area Consortium, the region produced and distributed its first

regional visitor guide as part of the ongoing effort to develop the region as a

recognized tourist destination.

Despite the many positives in FY14, the negative effects associated with reduced federal

spending continued to present challenges unique to this County and specific to our hotel

industry. These effects were further exacerbated by aggressive cuts in room prices by local

hotels as they struggled to fill rooms. As a result of these federal and local actions, in

FY14, the hotel industry experienced a decrease in revenue which resulted in an 18.62%

decline in hotel tax revenue to the County. However, surveying all tourism-related

categories of State sales tax revenue growth, including hotels and restaurants, St. May’s

County did see a modest overall increase of 3.1% in this measurement of economic

growth.

Details of the items noted above and information on other SMCT activities are provided

within this report. Also included is a review of the opportunities and challenges faced by

the tourism industry as we move forward in FY15.

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MISSION

SMCT is charged with increasing the economic impact of travel and tourism activities

through resident and non-resident spending. To accomplish this mission, SMCT executes a

full range of marketing, public relations, and industry-related programs.

While striving to achieve an increase in tourism activity, SMCT is guided by two

objective: 1) preserve our heritage and enhance our natural, cultural and recreational

resources through conservation, education, revitalization, preservation and tourism

development, 2) provide for the increase of tourism-related revenue to the public and

private sector through the development, marketing and promotion of our local sites,

businesses, events and attractions.

STAFFING

Two full-time employees implement and ensure the effectiveness of SMCT programs. FY

14 staffing: Tourism Manager, Carolyn Laray; Tourism Coordinator, Rebecca Lira (first

half of FY 14; Andrew Ponti (second half of FY 14).

PROGRAM BUDGET

BUDGET EXPENDITURES

Advertising* $197,987 $181,860

Conferences $12,000 $11,765

Printing $20,000 $19,000

Materials & Supplies $6,500 $6,385

Membership $2,000 $1,625

Operations ** $10,000 $10,000

Contract Services*** $116,552 $107,820

*Advertising is comprised of $74,539 in county budgeted funds, $22,601 in additional county funds,

$60,000 in “receivables” budget for co-op reimbursements, and $40,847 in state grant funds.

**Operations is funding for Southern Maryland Heritage Area Consortium’s regional tourism efforts.

***Contract Services includes Welcome Center Contract with St. Mary’s County Chamber of Commerce at

$58,000 and Electronic Marketing Program/Website Development Contract at $32,645.

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II PROGRAMS

ADVERTISING

Marketing messages are developed and advertising is placed in accordance with an annual

marketing plan designed to reach multiple target markets including the daytrip market, the

weekend getaway market, the heritage traveler, recreational and outdoors markets, the

group travel market, and developing markets.

State Marketing Grant

The Maryland Office of Tourism Development provides monetary support for marketing

through its grant program. Allocations are based on each county’s prior year allowable

expenditures as compared to other Maryland counties and on growth in tourism tax

revenues collected. In FY14, SMCT received $42,047 in grant funding of which, $40,847

was dedicated to advertising. See V DATA AND MEASURMENTS: TOURISM TAX

FACTOR.

Local Co-op Program

SMCT manages a local co-op advertising program wherein SMCT dollars match dollars of

local industry stakeholders. This enables partners to extend their advertising dollars and

reach a larger market to the mutual benefit of the partner and the county. Co-op partners in

FY14 included the Leonardtown Business Association, Town of Leonardtown, The

Leonardtown Lions Club for the Crab Festival, 7th

District Optimists for the Blessing of the

Fleet, 7th

District Rescue Squad for the Lawnmower Races, the Lexington Park Rotary for

the Oyster Festival, the Unified Committee for Afro-American Contributions for

Juneteenth, Lil’ Margaret’s Bluegrass Festival, Historic St. Mary’s City for Beer Fest and

for programs, Slack Winery, the Port of Leonardtown Winery and Maryland International

Raceway.

Combined Expenditures

County $78,194

County Additional $16,080

Local Co-op $46,747

State Co-op $40,847

Total spent $181,860

Advertising Schedules

See V DATA AND MEASUREMENTS: ADVERTISING ROSTER

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Targeted Spending

Print and Electronic Media Spending

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GROUP AND PACKAGED TRAVEL

Group travel kits were mailed to 74 tour operators and

group leaders drawn from show and meeting contacts and

from expressions of interest gathered from leads via phone,

email and written inquiry. The destination profile and tour

itineraries were also made available on the “Groups” page

on the SMCT website.

Through Destination Southern Maryland, the regional

marketing arm of the Southern Maryland Heritage Area

Consortium, SMCT participated in the Pennsylvania Bus Association Marketplace and the

Maryland Motorcoach Association Market Place, both in March 2014. SMCT did not take

part in the American Bus Association Marketplace this year due a transition in staffing.

Travel and Trade Shows Attended

GROUP TRAVEL AND CONSUMER SHOWS

SHOW NAME LOCATION DATE

NUMBER OF MATERIALS

ATTENDEES DISTRIBUTION

Pennsylvania Bus

Association (PBA)

King of

Prussia, PA

3/19/2014

27 Companies

approx. 1300

attendees

400

Maryland Motorcoach

Association (MMA)

King of

Prussia, PA

3/20/2014 17 Companies

approx. 350-400

attendees

200

PUBLIC RELATIONS

Media Section, Travel and Tourism Website

SMCT maintains a “Media Center” on the SMCT website to

assist travel writers researching stories. Resources provided

include: St. Mary’s profile sheet, story starters, press releases

from SMCT and tourism partners, fact sheets, industry news

bulletins and downloadable high-resolution photos. The

Media Center also holds press tour request forms and media

inquiry email links. The Media Center included a Raiders &

Invaders section during the months leading up to the event.

This section featured press releases, a media kit, and

downloadable logos. See the Raiders & Invaders Report for

details.

Mid Atlantic Travel Public Relations Association Media Marketplace

SMCT continued to take an active role in the Mid Atlantic Travel Public Relations

Association (MATPRA). SMCT participated in the MATPRA Media Marketplace held in

Arlington, Virginia, in September 2013. Seventy-four travel writers attended the

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conference. SMCT met with writers and presented story ideas and information on

resources and programs to generate interest in writing about St. Mary’s County.

Travel Writer Press Trips

SMCT hosted several travel writers and participated in two

media tours during FY14. These included a December 2013

visit for writers researching holiday stories for December

2014 publication, an April 2014 visit for a writer researching

watermen stories resulting in stories and War of 1812 stories

resulting in several articles. Press trips included two media

tours (September 2013 and May 2014), in conjunction with

the Maryland Office of Tourism to promote War of 1812 commemorative activities.

Publications range from regional publications such as Southern Maryland this is Living, to

Mid-Atlantic publications such as Eastern Home & Travel, to national publications such as

Southwest Airlines Spirit Magazine.

Articles Generated

“Freedom Began Here,” Catholic Review, Mary K. Tilghman, July, 2013

“2013 Lighthouse Challenge,” Bay Journeys, Laura Lutz, July, 2013

“A Slice of History, and a Taste of Oysters in St. Mary’s County,” Eastern Home &

Travel, Tripp Laino, August, 2013

Shuck & Awe,” Southern Maryland This is Living, Debra Zimmerman Murphy, Fall, 2013

“Historic St. Mary’s City,” Old Town Crier, Reed Hellman, September, 2013

“Water Trails of Southern Maryland,” Old Town Crier, Bob Tagert, October, 2013

“Historic St. George Island,” Old Town Crier, Bob Tagert, March, 2014

“The War of 1812 Reaches Southern Maryland & Washington is Burned,” Byways

Magazine, Stephen Kirchner, Spring, 2014

“War of 1812 Events,” Southern Maryland This is Living, Caroline Miller King,

Spring, 2014

“The Artsy Voyage,” artsyvoyager.com, April 7, 2014

“State Spotlight Maryland,” Group Travel Leader, Brain Jewell, April, 2014

“Raiders & Invaders Descend on St. Mary’s County,”, Recreation News, Reed Hellman,

May, 2014

Wineries in St. Mary’s Hope for Fruitful Season, The Enterprise, May 28, 2014

“Watermen Heritage Tours with Captain Phil Langley,” Old Town Crier, Reed Hellman,

June, 2014

“St. Mary’s is Great for Family Outings,” chesapeakefamily.com, June, 2014

“Take a tour of the Chesapeake Bay with a Real Waterman,” Recreation News, Reed

Hellman, June 2014

“Star Spangled St. Mary’s,”, AAA World, June, 2014

“The British are Coming,” Southern Maryland Weekend, Michael Reid, June 6, 2014

“Beaches Off the Beaten Path,” Chesapeake Family Magazine, Betsy Stein, June 2014

“Spirit of Maryland,” Southwest Airlines Spirit Magazine, Andrea Poe, July, 2014

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MARKETING ACTIVITIES AND PROMOTIONS

Raiders and Invaders Weekend

SMCT created a partnership with the Town of

Leonardtown, The Leonardtown Business Association, the

St. Mary’s County Historical Society, Historic Sotterley

and the College of Southern Maryland and other local

stakeholders to produce a signature War of 1812 event for

St. Mary’s County. Raiders & Invaders Weekend took

place in June of 2014. SMCT played a significant role in

coordinating the event and spearheaded the marketing

effort. See the Raiders & Invaders Report for details.

Wedding Planner “FAM” Tour

As part of SMCT’s effort to promote the county as a

wedding destination, twenty members of the Association

of Bridal Consultants, MD/DC Chapter participated in a

familiarization tour (“FAM” tour) of destination wedding

sites in St. Mary’s and Calvert counties in October, 2013.

Sites visited in St. Mary’s County included Sotterley

Plantation, Historic St. Mary’s City and the Inn at Brome

Howard.

Sweepstakes and Giveaways

SMCT partnered with the Maryland Office of Tourism to

produce a fall 2013 Seasonal Sweepstakes. The promotion

was featured on the VisitMaryland.org website, related

web and social media channels, in Welcome Centers and

in radio spots. The St. Mary’s County Sweepstakes ran

mid-September – mid October. 11,0000 visitors visited

the sweepstakes page on VisitMaryland.org, 1,487 entered

the sweepstakes and 758 elected to receive more info from

sweepstakes partners.

SMCT partnered with Madden Media to produce a second sweepstakes in May, 2014,

which was advertised in Oprah Magazine and posted on www.vacitonfun.com.

Participating partners received brand exposure, plus qualified leads from visitors

requesting additional travel partner information. Survey results are as yet not available.

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ELECTRONIC MARKETING PROGRAM

Pay Per Click Program In FY14, SMCT continued its use of

Google AdWords and Google display

ads pay per click advertising that had

been successfully implemented in FY13. Using algorithm formulas, the e-marketing

program sub-contractor Spectrum Interactive Media tested key words and search phrases

then employed them to drive more internet traffic to the SMCT website. This process was

also implemented to drive traffic to the Raiders & Invaders Website during the event

campaign. See the Raiders & Invaders Report for details. See V DATA AND

MEASUREMENTS: PAY PER CLICK

Website SMCT completed its second full year of

operation of the SMCT website, which

serves as the foundation for its destination

marketing efforts. All advertising,

promotions and campaigns drive to the

site, affording data tracking of activities.

The content management system (CMS)

enables SMCT staff to update information

continually ensuring information is up-to-

the-minute and accurate. This gives

visitors the up-to-the-minute information

they expect and boosts search-engine

ranking. SMCT worked with web

developer CDF Web Solutions, which

provides technical assistance and

marketing expertise to SMCT. A microsite was developed specifically for the Raiders &

Invaders event, and was used as the landing for all media, marketing and advertising. The

microsite was regularly updated to reflect the dynamic nature of the event. See the Raiders

& Invaders Report for details.

Partner Section: Industry Partner Empowerment

SMCT’s core economic development strategy is to leverage the power of business

partnerships to increase visitation. Toward this end, the SMCT website features a content

management system that enables industry partners to register, create and manage their

business listings, events listings and deals and package listings. This is an especially

important feature for small businesses such as charter boats or restaurants that may not

have individual websites or marketing dollars to promote themselves. At the close of

FY14, SMCT had 196 active partners.

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Promoting Website Use to County and Regional Residents

The SMCT website is the only area website that thoroughly covers and promotes St.

Mary’s County events and activities as well as hospitality and tourism-related businesses

such as restaurants and hotels. SMCT’s marketing strategy includes increasing website use

among local residents as well as nonresidents. In FY14, SMCT maintained a year-round

presence on regional website www.somd.com,with a rotating weekly feature designed to

drive residents of the region to the website.

Sports Marketing Page Added to Website

SMCT utilized an intern during July and August

2014, to develop a sports marketing section for

SMCT website. The section is designed to market

sports facilities to the competitive sports market,

serve as a sports resource, provide a calendar of

competitive events, and assist visiting sports teams

with panning their visits. As with the wedding

section added in FY13, the objective is to develop

markets which benefit our tourism and hospitality

industry.

E-Marketing and Social Media SMCT continues to increase its electronic presence and grow relationships with visitors

and residents via social media outlets. Users can connect to SMCT via Facebook, Twitter,

Flickr, YouTube, and Google+. Because of the ever-changing social media landscape,

SMCT continues to stay abreast of industry standards and best practices, and implements

these in social media postings and campaigns. See V DATA AND MEASUREMENTS:

SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook Contests & Advertising

By using geographically targeted Facebook advertising

and promotions through the partnership with Spectrum

Interactive Media, SMCT’s fan-grew to over 14,000

people during FY14. During the Raiders & Invaders

campaign, SMCT conducted Facebook contests in April

and May 2014, which included prizes for fans who

interacted with SMCT’s Facebook page. See the Raiders

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& Invaders Report for details. Campaigns help increase the reach of SMCT’s social media

messaging.

Facebook and Twitter

SMCT used Facebook and Twitter to broadcast

information about events, tourism-related

specials and activities happening in the county

and generate more user conversations. SMCT’s

posting strategy includes posting once per day,

five days a week, at targeted times of the day that

garner the most interactions from existing and

potential fans and followers. Social media sites

were also important in promoting the Raiders &

Invaders Weekend. See the Raiders & Invaders

Report for details.

Electronic Newsletter In FY14, SMCT continued distribution of its e-

newsletter, a “web-integrated html email” that

enables SMCT to maintain a consistent look and

feel between the e-newsletter and the SMCT

website. In this format, the e-newsletter is actually a

live page on the SMCT site and has active links to

different areas of the travel and tourism site, as well

as a full navigation bar. The design allows for

SMCT to easily feature upcoming events, deals

from county businesses and interesting articles

about activities in St. Mary’s. The design also

allows easy sharing of the newsletter via social media and gives viewers a simple way to

subscribe directly from the page. Though subscriptions to the e-newsletter fluctuated

throughout the year, net subscriptions to the monthly e-Newsletter have grown by 872 new

recipients in FY14. At the close of FY14, the total number of subscribers was 3559. The

e-newsletter also served to transmit e-blasts to subscribers about Raiders & Invaders

activities. See the Raiders & Invaders Report for details.

PUBLICATIONS AND PRODUCTS

Destination Guide

SMCT publishes its visitors guide biannually with

production of the next guide scheduled for FY15. For

FY14 distribution, see V DATA AND MEASUREMENTS:

PUBLICATION DISTRIBUTION.

The guide is also available in digital format on the SMCT

website via Nxtbook. The digital version generated a total of

4,123 visits and a total of 79,323 page views.

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Calendar of Events

SMCT printed 24,000 copies of the 2014 calendar and in FY14

distributed 22,000 copies of the total printed. See V DATA AND

MEASUREMENTS: PUBLICATION DISTRIBUTION

The calendar is also available for download via the SMCT website.

VISITOR INFORMATION CENTER

SMCT administers the contract with the St. Mary’s

County Chamber of Commerce to operate the St.

Mary’s County Welcome Center at Charlotte Hall.

The staff assists visitors, in person and via phone. In

FY14, the center served 2,054 on-site visitors. See V

DATA AND MEASUREMENTS: VISITOR

CENTER FIGURES

III DESTINATION RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

LOCAL INDUSTRY DEVLOPMENT AND RELATED ACTIVITIES

SMCT maintains robust relationships with stakeholder and industry groups and local sites

and attractions, providing advice and assistance related to industry development. FY14

activities included the following.

Industry Bulletin

SMCT continued to produce a quarterly industry bulletin to

inform local industry stakeholders and regional and state

officials and others about industry-related events and activities

and upcoming opportunities in St. Mary’s. The objective is to

strengthen communications within the industry and build

industry cohesion.

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St. Mary’s County Chamber of Commerce Tourism & Hospitality Advisory Council

(THAC) Involvement

In FY14, the council changed its name from the

“Tourism Advisory Council” to the “Tourism &

Hospitality Advisory Council” (THAC) to better

reflect representation of the entire industry. SMCT

continues to play an active role in THAC which

advises the Chamber and serves as a voice for the

industry. The council meets monthly and holds two

open meetings each year meant to encourage an

open exchange of ideas, input and direction. In

FY14, THAC open meetings took place in September, 2013, at the Inn at Brome Howard,

and in May, 2014 at the Port of Leonardtown Winery.

Patuxent River Naval Air Museum and Visitor Center

SMCT continued to meet with the Patuxent River Naval Air

Museum (PRNAM) exhibit committee in an effort to assist

with guiding the museum toward development of programs

and practices that meet the professional standards of the

museum field so as to ensure the museum’s success in

terms of tourism economic development. SMCT arranged

for a visit to PRNAM by Hannah Byron, Maryland’s

Assistant Secretary for Tourism, Film and the Arts where

she met with PRNAM’s board of Director’s President Ed

Forsman and exhibit committee chairperson Dave Seeman to hear about plans for the new

museum and to determine how the Maryland Office of Tourism Development might be

used as a resource by PRNAM.

Assisting our Wineries

SMCT continued to work closely with our wineries by providing marketing assistance to

both wineries via its cooperative advertising program and including them in travel writer

itineraries. SMCT ensures the wineries are promoted via the SMCT website which

maintains a homepage winery feature box updated regularly.

Hotel Group Meetings

SMCT continued to meet on a monthly basis with St. Mary’s county hotels. All hotels are

invited to attend. The meetings serve as a forum for industry concerns and for discussion

of industry strategies which SMCT takes into account as it develops its marketing

programs.

Town of Leonardtown and Leonardtown Business Association Activities

Recognizing the critical link between the growth of county tourism and the growth of

Leonardtown, SMCT continued its involvement with the town and the Leonardtown

Business Association (LBA) ensuring integration of town activities with county efforts.

SMCT provided reports as a standing item at LBA’s monthly meetings. SMCT also

continued to serve on LBA’s Marketing Committee. FY14, collaborative marketing efforts

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focused on producing Raiders & Invaders Weekend activities. See the Raiders & Invaders

Report for details.

REGIONAL AND STATE PARTNERSHIPS AND ACTIVITIES

Southern Maryland Heritage Area Consortium

The Southern Maryland Heritage Area Consortium (SMHAC) continued regional

administration of the Maryland Heritage Area Authorities grant program as well as its

successful mini-grant program. SMHAC is funded by the three Southern Maryland

Counties and the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority. SMHAC’s Marketing Committee is

composed of the three regional tourism directors. The committee operates under the rubric

“Destination Southern Maryland.” The committee participated in the Pennsylvania Bus

Association Marketplace, published the first regional visitors guide and the first regional

promotional video. See below.

Regional Visitors Guide

SMCT worked with SMHAC and Charles and Calvert County

tourism offices to produce and publish Southern Maryland’s first

jointly-produced visitor guide. Thirty-five thousand copies were

printed with distribution in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C.,

areas as well as throughout the three counties. The magazine-style

guide was funded via advertising sales and with a Maryland

Heritage Areas Authority grant.

Regional Destination Video

SMCT worked with SMHAC and Charles and Calvert

County tourism offices to produce the first regional

promotional video which was completed and posted on

www.destinationsouthernmaryland.com, the regional

website, early in FY14. The video exists in long and

short formats to suit a variety of uses.

Sites and Attractions Accepted into the Tourist Area and Corridor Sign Program

SMCT worked with the Maryland State Highways Administration (SHA) as they reviewed

new applications for signage submitted by County sites and attractions. SHA

representatives briefed St. Mary’s County Government and Town of Leonardtown officials

in January, 2014, and SMCT gathered and provided applications resulting in the addition

of 14 sites to the program. Signs will be installed in FY15.

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Master Planning for Newtowne Neck State Park

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources re-started the master planning efforts for

the County’s newest state park whose opening was delayed due to discovery of WWII

ordinance at the site. SMCT serves on the planning committee. Development of the plan

will be a year-long process and will include public input. The centrally-located park has

great potential to increase outdoor recreation-minded visitors and attract associated

businesses.

INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS

In FY 14, SMCT continued its active participation in the following industry and

professional associations and organizations.

Maryland Tourism Council

Maryland Association of Destination Marketing Organizations Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association

American Bus Association

Maryland Motorcoach Association

Virginia Motorcoach Association

Mid Atlantic Travel Public Relations Association

Maryland Office of Tourism Development

Public Relations Individuals of Southern Maryland

NAS Patuxent River Travel Relocation Assistance Committee

IV MOVING FORWARD: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

Developing a Strategic Plan to Grow a Tourism Economy

In FY14, the St. Mary’s County Economic Development Commission (SMCEDC) was

created to oversee the development and implementation of an economic development

strategy that will diversify the local economy. In FY15, a supporting commissioned study

of the tourism and hospitality industry will be undertaken. Tourism in St. Mary’s County is

far from reaching its full potential, and its best chance for doing so is in accordance with a

three-to-five-year plan that can guide investment in resources. Investing wisely in Tourism

will not only increase positive economic impacts through visitation, it will help create the

type of environment and infrastructure amenities that attract businesses and workers.

Strengthening Industry Engagement

In order to develop an effective strategic plan, we must have a fully engaged local tourism

and hospitality industry. This has long been an objective of SMCT whose efforts include

empowering partners to market their own offerings via the SMCT website, reaching out to

the industry through the quarterly industry bulletin, partnering with the St. Mary’ County

Chamber of Commerce via its Tourism & Hospitality Advisory Council, and engaging the

hotel industry via the hotel meeting group. The plan includes actions to improve the

collection of data on industry affiliates and better engage new industry-related businesses.

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Meeting Hotel Occupancy Challenges by Developing New Markets

The effects of the decrease in business travel due to federal cutbacks and realignments

coupled by increases in room inventory for hotels along Route 235 are already having an

impact on the local economy. Therefore, the challenge to fill rooms, especially during the

weekend, is becoming more critical. SMCT will continue to work to meet the challenge

and to develop marketing programs in concert with the local hotel industry with

concentration on the destination wedding market.

Assuring Electronic and Social Media Marketing Efforts are Robust and Competitive

SMCT has made tremendous strides in marketing in the past two years with

implementation of the SMCT website and supporting that anchor with extensive social

media efforts. Due to the small number of staff and growing industry demands, SMCT

stands firm in its belief that these platforms are the most efficient and cost effective means

of reaching the greatest number of potential visitors. SMCT will continue to ensure the

web site and attendant social media and e-marketing efforts are robust and competitive.

Building Upon the “Towns and Communities” Concept

As part of the SMCT web development process in 2010/2011, SMCT chose a development

and marketing strategy that divided the county into seven “micro” destinations based on

geography and a shared sense of community and identity. The objective was to showcase

our communities, provide visitors with compact easy to navigate areas, and give local

industry partners a concept around which to develop and grow. SMCT will continue to use

the “towns and communities” framework for future development and marketing efforts and

will employ this concept in FY15 programs and publications.

Strengthening Tourism Development in Hollywood-California-Lexington Park

The new Patuxent River Naval Air Museum and Visitor Center will appeal to a broad

general market and has the potential to increase weekend occupancy at hotels located along

Route 235 and build the county’s group tour and military reunion markets. It may also

serve as an anchor for further development of the Lexington Park area and as a gateway to

South County attractions. SMCT will continue to seek active engagement with the museum

and community stakeholders to help realize the museum’s full tourism potential and will

work closely with the museum on development of the venue’s visitor center component.

Strengthening Tourism Development in South County

The Southern portion of the county retains much of the rural Tidewater character that

visitors seek. It also has a rich Civil War history capable of attracting the robust niche

market of Civil War Travelers. Investment in programs that develop these resources will

further enhance the area as a visitor destination. SMCT will continue to work with the

area’s tourism resources and will work with Point Lookout State Park and stakeholders to

develop and promote the 150th

anniversary of the release of Point Lookout prisoners.

Helping to Create a State Park that Brings Economic Benefits to the County

Outdoor land and water-based recreation opportunities are increasingly important

destination drivers. With its central location and proximity to Leonardtown amenities,

Newtowne Neck State Park has the potential to be a powerful economic catalyst for the

county. SMCT will continue to work with DNR within the context of its strategic planning

process for the park keeping in mind SMCTs mission to preserve our heritage and enhance

or cultural natural and recreational resources.

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V DATA AND MEASUREMENTS

SITES AND ATTRACTIONS VISITATION

Major sites and attractions provide the Division with visitation counts every six months. In

FY14, visitation to local sites and attractions was 783,650 as reported. This represents an

increase of a little more than 8% over FY13’s reported numbers. Almost every site and

attraction was at or above FY13’s attendance figures.

FY2012 FY2013 FY2014

St. Clements Island Museum 10,087 12,827 12,850

Piney Point Museum 19,408 11,958 12,042

Historic St. Mary' City 36,919 45,248 33,798

Sotterley Plantation 23,334 18,233 27,879

Old Jail/Tudor Hall 832 1,014 1,870

Patuxent Naval Air Museum 67,232 72,016 74,306

Point Lookout State Park 263,528 126,817 263,015

Greenwell State Park 133,911 198,376 140,542

Newtowne Neck State Park Not Yet Open Not Yet Open 5,776

St. Mary's River State Park 101,905 95,840 48,848

St. Clement's Is. State Park 4,045 3,326 4,187

MD International Raceway 121,112 115,338 132,194

Chesapeake Bay Field Lab Under

Renovations Closed Closed

Summerseat 2,430 2,837 5,412

Port of Leonardtown Winery 7,400 19,506 20,931

TOTALS 800,968 723,336 783,650

EVENT ATTENDANCE

Based on figures provided by the events producers, 174,444 individuals attended the

county’s ongoing annually-held events representing a 6.4% increase over last year. SMCT

also tracks key sporting events which showed a decrease of 15,805. Sports event decreases

were due to weather and a move from a two-day to a single day schedule for one of the

events. With the addition of the one-time Raiders & Invaders event, total event attendance

tracked stayed even with FY13.

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Special Events Attendance

Location Month Attendance

FY 12 Attendance

FY 13 Attendance

FY 14

St. Mary's Crab Festival Fairgrounds, Leonardtown June 2,400 1,300 2,150

Lawnmower Races Bowles Farms August N/A 4,000 5,000

Waterfowl Festival Fairgrounds, Leonardtown August N/A 800 700

St. Mary's County Oyster Festival Fairgrounds, Leonardtown October 18,000 15,000 18,000

St. Mary's County Fair Fairgrounds, Leonardtown September 55,300 55,000 55,000

Juneteenth Celebration

Freedom Park, Lexington Park June 2,500 3,000 3,000

Historic St. Mary's Events Historic St. Mary's City Year Round 3,274 1,680 2,476

Beerfest Historic St. Mary's City May 631 1,700 2,100

Earth Day on the Square Leonardtown April Rained Out 3,000 2,200

Spring Fling Car Show Leonardtown April N/A 2,800 3,000

Beach Party on the Square Leonardtown August 4,500 4,000 4,500

"LiL" Margaret Blue Grass Fest. Leonardtown August 835 800 600

Veteran's Day Parade Leonardtown November 5,000 4,000 5,200

Christmas on the Square Leonardtown November 7,000 9,000 7,000

Taste of St. Mary's Leonardtown September 2,400 2,000 4,000

Fall Follies Leonardtown September 1,000 250 250

First Fridays Leonardtown Year Round 2,100 2,700 2,400

Forrest Hall Farm Corn Maze Mechanicsville Sep.-Nov. 8,500 10,000 7,500 Shorter Season

Bowles Farm Corn Maze Mechanicsville Sept.-Nov. 8,350 5,000 6,000

Spirits of Point Lookout Point Lookout Light October 1,600 Cancelled Did not

have

Family Plantation Christmas Sotterley Plantation December 1,005 1,142 921

Candlelight Tours of Sotterley Sotterley Plantation December 573 393 283

Gala in the Garden Sotterley Sotterley Plantation May 130 250 208

Riverside Winefest Sotterley Plantation October 3,967 4,300 5,969

Ghosts of Sotterley Sotterley Plantation October 1,490 1,475 1,463

Christmas Doll & Train Exhibit St. Clement's Island December 890 1,012 700

Potomac Jazz & Seafood Festival St. Clement's Island July 920 800 900

Maryland Day St. Clement's Island March 150 74 87

Blessing of the Fleet St. Clement's Island October 1,704 5,000 5,100

River Concert Series St. Mary's College June-July 35,000 20,000 24,000

Monster Glow Dash Summerseat Farm October N/A N/A 2,500

Plant Sale Summerseat Farm May 1,101 1,125 1,237

Beer, Bands & BBQ Summerseat Farm June N/A 785 N/A

Gates of Summerseat Summerseat Farm October 810 1,503 N/A

Total

171,130 163,889 174,444

Top Sports Events

Location Month Attendance

FY 12 Attendance

FY 13 Attendance

FY 14

World Cup Finals MIR November 15,821 16,795 24,790

Lucas Oil AMA Pro Budds Creek July 14,000 15,500 9,700

Moved from Father’s Day to July / heat

Warrior Dash Budds Creek May 30,000 30,000 12,000 One day in 2014 Only

59,821 62,295 46,490

Raiders & Invaders 2014

June

6500

Misc. events as provided by sites and attractions to SMCT

6028 4069

Total

230,951 232,212 231,503

19

VISITOR CENTER FIGURES

The St. Mary’s County Chamber of Commerce operates the St. Mary’s County Welcome

Center at Charlotte Hall under contract with County Government. In FY14, the Welcome

Center was open 247 days (the same as FY13), and 2,054 visitors were served. Of the

2,054 visitors served in FY14, around 73% were from Maryland and 27% were from

outside of Maryland. Of the 1,494 visitors who were from Maryland, 43.44% were from

St. Mary’s County, and 56.56% were from other Maryland counties.

Visitor Count

Year Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Total

FY11 271 147 149 163 113 25 38 78 136 147 186 166 1619

FY12 273 162 153 109 115 66 60 67 140 108 281 171 1705

FY13 304 359 252 215 110 65 80 64 160 188 278 237 2312

FY14 214 314 197 183 90 54 56 64 154 200 295 233 2054

WEBSITE STATISTICS

The travel and tourism website has continued to gain momentum since launching in June

2012. In FY14, the website was visited 267,304 times. This is a 54.3% increase over

FY13.

Month

Site

Visits/

Month

Page Views/

Month

Average

Pages/ Visit

New

Visitors

Returning

Visitors

Jul-13 27,473 93,361 3.40 18,575 8,898

Aug-13 28,518 95,861 3.36 19,887 8,631

Sep-13 24,387 77,287 3.17 17,063 7,324

Oct-13 22,461 64,355 2.87 15,621 6,840

Nov-13 16,341 44,078 2.70 11,130 5,221

Dec-13 14,388 37,641 2.62 9,771 4,617

Jan-14 12,118 40,482 3.34 8,890 3,228

Feb-14 11,787 37,410 3.17 8,810 2,977

Mar-14 21,070 61,956 2.94 15,941 5,129

Apr-14 25,159 78,220 3.11 17,714 7,445

May-14 30,274 95,003 3.14 21,219 9,055

Jun-14 33,328 104,966 3.15 22,881 10,447

Total 267,304 830,620 3.08 187,502 79,812

20

PAY PER CLICK ADVERTISING

In FY14, SMCT continued to use Google’s online pay per click (Adwords) and Google

Content Network (Display ads) advertising to promote the county as a tourist destination.

SMCT did not deploy the program in months showing no data.

Google Adwords (Paid Search) Google Content Network (Display Ads)

Month Clicks to Website

July 2013 -

August 2013 2,697

September 2013 2,605

October 2013 755

November 2013 -

December 2013 -

January 2014 -

February 2014 -

March 2014 3,067

April 2014 2,137

May 2014 2,027

June 2014 898

TOTAL 8,129

Outbound links are clicks from the SMCT website to local tourism and hospitality

business, attractions and event sites. In FY 14, the SMCT website generated 94,116

outbound links representing a 58% increase over FY13. Nearly 100,000 outbound links

indicates the importance of the SMCT website in promoting local tourism and hospitality

businesses, sites and attractions and events, and driving traffic to their sites.

Month

Activities

& Attr. Lodging Dining Venue Event Shopping Other

Total

Outbound

Links

JUL 3,318 2,673 1,667 896 1,423 438 211 10,726

AUG 3,126 2,866 1,820 930 916 458 162 10,450

SEP 2,319 1,880 1,312 1,120 1,508 400 239 8,857

OCT 1,616 1,262 1,038 909 2,648 407 277 8,200

NOV 1,004 492 831 644 1,368 291 170 4,800

DEC 826 566 740 807 1,092 325 121 4,477

JAN 1,120 942 803 1,447 192 344 224 5,072

FEB 1,156 797 861 995 279 335 256 4,679

MAR 1,794 1,275 842 1,278 565 359 245 6,358

APR 2,696 1,927 866 1,210 729 287 269 7,984

MAY 3,934 2,509 1,088 1,191 883 286 230 10,121

JUNE 4,980 2,641 1,125 1,424 1,582 402 238 12,392

TOTAL 27,889 19,830 12,993 12,851 13,185 4,332 2,642 94,116

Month

Clicks to

Website

July 2013 -

August 2013 1,605

September 2013 1,274

October 2013 -

November 2013 -

December 2013 -

January 2014 -

February 2014 -

March 2014 3,135

April 2014 4,995

May 2014 4,298

June 2014 2,063

Total 17,370

21

SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook Statistics

1. The number of people sharing stories about the SMCT Facebook page. These stories include liking the page, posting

to the page and liking, sharing or commenting on one of SMCT’s posts.

2. Total number of people who “like” the SMCT Facebook page.

3. The number of unique users engaged with the SMCT Facebook page. Engagement includes any click or story

created.

4. The number of unique users who have seen any content associated with the SMCT Facebook page.

5. The total number of times any content associated with the SMCT Facebook page was seen by any user or visitor.

Twitter Statistics

JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN

Number of Tweets 7 12 13 13 13 1 24 24 35 39 36 35

New Followers 29 9 18 21 17 15 26 34 33 37 23 21

Total Number of Followers 595 604 624 645 662 686 711 746 784 823 842 858

Number of Interactions* 14 9 4 3 3 1 14 6 15 30 22 28

(* Number of times followers mention [@SMCTourism], re-tweet or favorites St. Mary’s County Tourism tweets)

JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN FY14

Total

Number of Posts 10 12 12 11 10 1 17 25 33 38 33 32 234

Users Talking

about SMCT1 266 142 894 807 617 610 1,113 701 1,401 1,361 1238 767 9,917

Total Likes2 7472 7522 8228 8872 9372 9928 10,674 11198 12,213 13,121 13950 14008 14,008

Engaged Users3 789 408 1352 1112 807 658 1,461 927 1,115 1,857 1702 1956 14,144

Total Reach4 17034 13175 153395 305191 111086 158048 310,207 88152 253,369 144,041 106096 24893 1,684,687

Total Impressions5 35669 26965 712105 706183 185619 289307 586,814 103035 621,640 260,047 215685 54830 3,797,899

22

LOCAL TAX REVENUE

The tax rate is 5% and applies only to hotels. The local accommodations tax decreased by

$162,499, or 18.62%. This is the first decrease in this tax category since the 2008

recession. Significant factors were the decrease in base-related business travel which had

resulted in a drop in the federal per diem rate and price-cutting by hotels as they struggled

to attract a share of the dwindling market. The local admission and amusement tax

continued to decrease. SMCT DED will continue to work with Finance and the

Comptroller’s Office to determine causes of the downward trend.

Accommodations Tax and Hotel and Admission/Amusement Tax Revenue

Accommodations Tax AA Tax

FY 08 $570,441 $112,802

FY 09 $634,659 $104,344

FY 10 $730,992 $ 84,636

FY 11 $788,689 $72,649

FY 12 $840,638 $121,047

FY 13 $872,532 $84,269

FY 14* $710,033 $58,885

*As of September, 16, 2014. Unaudited figures. SMC Dept. of Finance. Decrease of local

23

FY 2012 FY 2013 FY 2014

18,761,596 18,664,284 17,600,827

17,918,076 18,761,596 18,664,284

4.7 -0.5 -5.7

Running 12 Months

Hotel Revenue Hotel Occupancy %

Smith Travel Research, monthly report,

June, 2014.

TOURISM TAX CALCULATION

Running 12 Months FY 2012 FY 2013 FY 2014

51.5 46.9 46.3

50.8 51.5 46.9

1.2 -8.8 -1.4

24

FY14, State of Maryland tax revenue collected in St. Mary’s County from business sectors

identified by the Comptroller as tourism-related increased by 3.1 % over FY13. Restaurant

tax revenue showed growth of 5% over FY13, and recreation and amusement tax revenue

increased by 23%. Lodging tax revenue fell by 4.6%, but within that category, hotels

serving beer and wine saw revenue increase by 60% (Towne Place and Hampton Inn),

while all other hotels saw a decline in tax revenue of 8.8%. From those categories, the

Comptroller calculates a “Tourism Tax Factor” which influences the dollar amount

awarded counties via the State’s Marketing Grant Program. St. Mary’s County’s Tourism

Tax Factor growth was 1.9% in FY14. See related local Accommodations and Admission

and Amusement tax revenue above.

DISTRIBUTION

SMCT distributes visitor guides and other brochures to state and regional visitor centers,

convention and visitors’ bureaus, area sites and attractions, hotels and businesses and

organizations. Guides are also distributed by paid distribution services to targeted areas

inside and outside of Maryland. SMCT also fulfills leads generated through online

requests, through publications and via an 800# and mail. In FY14, SMCT guide

distribution was lower than FY13 distribution, due to construction closures at several state

welcome centers which were not accepting guides, and disruption in services and counts

during period when SMCT was without a permanent tourism coordinator. SMCT also

distributed 22,000 Calendar of Events, 6,539 copies of the regional guide, Destination

Southern Maryland, and 19,708 Raiders & Invaders rack cards. See the Raiders & Invaders

Report for details.

Visitor Guide Distribution

FY13 FY14

St. Mary's County Welcome Center 4,350 800

CVBs & Welcome Centers 6,850 2900

Regional Sites and Museums 5,400 1550

Hotels, B&B's, Camping 7,000 1375

Travel and Trade Shows 930 400

Events 1,000 700

Regional Agencies and Organizations 5,400 2250

Distribution Services 34,100 25000

Other Retail Locations 2500 750

Lead Fulfilment 7,466 7,881

Distribution based on inventory count 2,000 25780

Total 76,996 67,669

25

FULFILLMENTS BY LEAD SOURCE

SMCT fulfilled 7,881 direct requests for information (“leads”) in FY14, which is slightly

higher than FY13.

Source Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Total

Publications

AAA 83 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 83

Preservation Magazine

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 62 0 62

MD Co-op Ad Madden Media

86 324 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 410

More Reader Services

11 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 18

Oprah Magazine 1326 947 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 369 1050 2218 5910

Websites

visitstmarysmd.com 50 65 39 17 19 22 47 58 104 107 83 147 758

Other Sources

Phone & 800# 21 20 25 14 15 8 22 10 84 29 51 89 388

Schools/ mail 2 1 0 0 1 7 14 6 12 18 0 0 61

Group Tour Kits 1 3 4 2 2 1 4 7 3 3 3 1 34

Other* 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 5 40 157

Total 1592 1367 68 33 37 38 87 81 203 626 1254 2495 7881

Grand Total 7,881 * Other includes requests from hotels and businesses, sites and organizations.

Please note: Grand Total above includes distribution of Destination Guides plus other publications, including the Calendar of Events, Southern Maryland Heritage Area publications, Water Trails, etc.

FULFILLMENTS BY STATE, RANKING ORDER

Rank State Number of Leads

Rank State

Number of Leads

1 Maryland 805

27 New Hampshire 40

2 Florida 725

28 Iowa 37

3 Pennsylvania 551

29 Kansas 36

4 New York 522

30 DC 35

5 New Jersey 415

31 Oregon 35

6 North Carolina 335

32 Louisiana 33

7 Georgia 291

33 Arizona 31

8 Virginia 256

34 Maine 30

9 Ohio 200

35 Colorado 28

10 Texas 165

36 Arkansas 27

11 California 159

37 Minnesota 27

12 Connecticut 157

38 Rhode Island 27

13 Illinois 156

39 Nebraska 18

14 Massachusetts 154

40 Vermont 18

15 South Carolina 154

41 New Mexico 15

16 Indiana 120

42 Utah 15

26

17 Michigan 112

43 Idaho 12

18 Missouri 89

44 Nevada 12

19 Kentucky 67

45 Mississippi 11

20 West Virginia 67

46 Hawaii 8

21 Wisconsin 61

47 North Dakota 4

22 Delaware 52

48 South Dakota 4

23 Tennessee 51

49 Montana 3

24 Washington 51

50 Alaska 2

25 Oklahoma 50

51 Wyoming 1

26 Alabama 43

52 Puerto Rico 1

OUT-OF-COUNTRY LEADS

Canada 200

UK 2

Germany 1 India 1

ADVERTISING ROSTER

PUBLICATION COST CATEGORY

TOTALS

Annual Publications Destination Maryland $5,600.00

MD Calendar $2,500.00 AAA Tour Book $4,879.00

$12,979.00

General Regional Market Oprah $4,290.00

So MD Destination Guide $2,000.00 Old Town Crier $1,599.00 Old Town Crier $1,599.00 Old Town Crier $1,599.00 Old Town Crier $2,400.00 somd.com $2,400.00 somd.com $2,400.00 Spectrum $6,500.00 Spectrum $6,500.00 Spectrum $6,500.00 Spectrum $6,500.00

$44,287.00

Spring/Summer Campaigns L'town mailer to Hollywood zip $1,045.00

Southern Maryland This is Living $1,120.00 County Times, Calvert Gazette $1,000.00 So MD Weekend $1,050.00

27

Local Living $896.06 Tester $538.64 Pentagram $823.70 WGRQ 95.9 $808.00 Bay Weekly $1,170.00

Recreation News $3,200.00 Recreation News $3,200.00 Old Town Crier $1,599.00 Old Town Crier $1,599.00 Metrocast the buzz $500 and Crawl x 2 150 $650.00 Chesapeake Family Magazine $1,075.00 Baynet $650.00 smnewsnt.com $300.00 Tester $500.00 MWR newsletter $90.00 Memorial Day insert $900.00 Heritage Mailing CA zip $1,590.93 Chamber newsletter $150.00 WSMD $1,958.00 WKIK $1,984.00 Washington Post Weekend $5,258.08 Rte 235 Billboard $2,250.00 Washingtonpost.com $8,000.00 Macaronikid.com $168.75 Chesp Family/Chesp Inspired

newsletters/banners $1,674.00 Washingtonian $2,060.00 What's Up $1,700.00

$47,963.16

Events Lil' Margaret's Bluegrass WKIK $494.00

Festival Flyer $85.00 Program $250.00 Lawnmower Races

Thebaynet.com $400.00 WKIK $924.00 WGRQ $735.00 Thunder $425.00 County Times $600.00 Enterprise $498.00 So MD Weekend $231.00 somdnews.net $300.00 Riverside Winefest

SOMAR WSMD star 98.3 $2,500.00 Metrocast $1,000.00

28

Lot Town Crier $800.00 somdnewsnet $300.00 Comcast $1,655.50 Arts Fest $1,657.00 Blessing of the Fleet

Ad pro welcometosomaryland.com $800.00 WKIK $1,000.00 Oyster Fest

Arts Fest $225.00 Enterprise Guide to Fall $260.00 Tester $320.00 Enterprise $328.00 Old Town Crier $800.00 Waterfowl Festival

somd.com $150.00

Juneteenth So MD Weekend $326.00

Enterprise $400.00 Crab Fest

Tester $385.00 Enterprise $400.00 So MD Weekend $326.00 Beer Fest

WSMD $2,500.00 River Concert Series

So MD Weekend $310.00 So MD Weekend $310.00 So MD Weekend $310.00 So MD Weekend $310.00 Taste of St. Mary's

WSMD $2,500.00

$24,814.50

Sites and Attractions HSMC WSMD $1,500.00

MIR NMRA Ford Nationals $9,000.00

Mountain Motor Nationals $8,000.00 Leonardtown

Maryland Wine Press $1,159.00 Maryland Wine Press $1,195.00 Mailer fall $2,392.11 Mailer winter $2,392.11 Mailer spring $2,442.11 Mailer summer (add' zip 950) $2,442.11 County Times $1,000.00

29

Destination So MD guide $1,100.00

$33,667.44

Farm and Wineries Port of Leonardtown Southern Maryland This is Living $500.00

Southern Maryland This is Living $500.00 Southern Maryland This is Living $500.00 Maryland Wine Press $534.65 Maryland Wine Press $650.00 Destination So MD guide $795.00 Slack Winery

MD Wine Press $1,014.00 MD Wine Press $1,044.00 Destination So MD guide $795.00 So MD Trails Guide $1,000.00

$7,332.65

Recreation Spokes $650.00

Spokes $650.00 Spokes banner ads $500.00

$1,800.00

Niche Markets Civil War Civil War News $500.00

Weider Press $2,500.00 Heritage Traveler

Preservation Mag $1,380.00

$4,380.00

Groups Maryland Motorcoach Directory $1,519.50

Virginia Motorcoach Assoc Directory $600.00 Maryland Motorcoach Marketplace $650.00

$2,769.50

Misc./Adjustments Chamber newsletter $300.00

MD Calendar sponsor $130.00

Mail Chimp $600.00 So MD Weekend $279.00 So MD Weekend $279.00 So MD Weekend $279.00

$1,867.00

TOTAL $181,860.25