Tourism is one of the biggest industries in the county.
Frederick, MD – Frederick County contains a variety of spots to visit including restaurants, hiking areas, historical sights and more, making it a prime location for tourists. According to Executive Director of Visit Frederick John Fiesler, tourists brought in over $410 million to the Frederick economy in 2017 with an additional $115 million in local, state, and federal taxes.
“That’s $1.1 million a day on average,” Fiesler said. “Typically, tourism is one of the top three industries in a lot of communities.”
He says that a big draw for tourism is the county’s proximity to several Civil War sites. “We love [Civil War tourists,]” says Fiesler. “The studies have shown that heritage travelers stay longer and actually spend 1 1/2 times what the average US traveler spends”
Fiesler noted the biggest source of tourism income comes from the 5% tax on hotel room rentals, but airbnb room rentals are rising in popularity and exempt from the tax. “In Frederick County, hotel tax law exempts anybody that has less than 10 rooms,” he said.
Maryland currently implements a hotel tax on Airbnb rentals in Montgomery, Baltimore, and Prince George’s Counties..
By Timothy Young