The Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) has released its Economic Impact of the Arts in Maryland: FY 2014, and the numbers are impressive. The non-profit arts sector generated an economic impact of $1.05 billion, produced $49 million in state and local tax revenue and supported 12,155 full-time equivalent jobs which generated $383 million in salaries to Maryland residents. The report also shows the importance of funding arts organizations because each dollar spent on operating budgets generates a $3.20 return in economic activity. In addition to the considerable economic benefits of the arts, the MSAC report showed that an estimated 8.3 million people visited the MSAC’s 249 grantee organizations. To read the full report, visit the MSAC’s website.

Just in time for the holidays, the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) has opened its online Maryland Artist Marketplace. The new addition to the MSAC’s home site creates a one-stop-shopping destination for unique works by Maryland jewelers, photographers, glass blowers, painters, sculptors, musicians, weavers, writers, and more. The Maryland Artist Marketplace features a comprehensive search engine allowing shoppers to search by category, price range, county of origin and artist. The marketplace is designed to maximize accessibility for those who wish to buy local and support Maryland businesses while providing a powerful tool for consumers seeking to discover new artists.  Artists who wish to sell through the site can opt-in through their existing Maryland Artist Registry account or, for first time creators, by creating an account through the registry.

Whether you’re on the hunt for that one-of-a-kind gift or are just searching for the season’s unique cheer, there’s no place like Maryland’s Main Streets. And now is your chance to experience holiday charm in style with our Elkton Main Street Sweepstakes. Explore Elkton's historic Main Street, while supporting local, Maryland owned businesses. Enter now to win a weekend stay at Elk Forge Bed & Breakfast Inn and Spa, restaurant packages and more. With nearly $1,000 in great gifts, this is your chance to win a local holiday shopping getaway that you'll never forget. For a complete list of prizes and to enter, go to visitmaryland.org. All entries must be received by December 18.

Rich Gilbert, travel trade sales manager, OTD, will be attending the upcoming American Bus Association’s (ABA) 2016 Marketplace, January 9-12 in Louisville, Kentucky to promote Maryland’s tour and travel assets. The motorcoach tourism industry has been an important economic driver for Maryland, generating more than 24,000 jobs with a direct economic impact of more than $2.3 billion in FY 2014 according to the ABA; and the ABA Marketplace is one of the most important industry events of the year. “More than 700 tour buyers will be on hand,” says Gilbert “and this is the best opportunity we have to market Maryland.”

In advance of the ABA Marketplace, Gilbert is requesting information from our private tourism and industry partners to better promote Maryland as a motorcoach destination and to expand OTD’s “Maryland Made Easy” package tour portfolio. “We have relationships with buyers, and OTD’s strength is in making connections between tour operators and Maryland businesses and destinations. Operators are finalizing their 2016 tour schedules and planning their 2017 products, and by letting us know what’s new and what’s upcoming, we can better package and promote Maryland’s fantastic retail, entertainment and tourism assets.” To inform OTD of your upcoming events and latest tourism developments ahead of January’s marketplace, contact Gilbert at rgilbert@visitmaryland.org.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, OTD welcomed Fabio Macedo, a writer for Falando de Viagem, one of the biggest tourism websites in the world with more than 700,000 monthly visitors. Macedo toured Baltimore and Annapolis with a focus on luxury travel, a major driver in Brazil’s growing travel footprint. “International travelers are an important target for us as we seek to grow visitation to Maryland,” says Leslie Troy, communications specialist, OTD. “International travelers stay longer and spend more,” Troy says, “and, Brazil, being the second biggest economy in the hemisphere, is an important market for our continued growth.”

Traditionally, Brazilian tourists have focused on New York and Miami, but OTD, along with its partners in Capital Region USA (CRUSA), is working to change that. “Bringing Falando de Viagem is a big step,” says Troy, “but it’s a big first step. We will be welcoming a Brazilian FAM tour to Maryland in 2016 to showcase our luxury shopping, gaming and culinary assets. It is an exciting, new market, and we are confident Maryland has the tourism product Brazilian travelers are looking for.”

Each week, the Maryland Minute provides highlights and insights on this weekend’s events around the state. Maryland Minute is featured on CBS radio stations in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. and on Baltimore’s WBAL-AM 1090.