The annual celebration will take place May 2nd through May 8th, 2021.
Frederick, MD (KB) Visit Frederick is celebrating National Travel and Tourism Week from May 2nd until May 8th. Outgoing Director of Visit Frederick John Fieseler said the tourism industry is vital to the community.
“I think this past year with the COVID pandemic has really highlighted the importance of travel, not just to our community, but really across the country,” he said.
Fieseler said one of the most recent reports from 2019 showed that in a normal year, $426.1 million dollars was spent in the county by people who traveled at least 50 miles.
He said this was an extremely tough year for local Frederick businesses, but perhaps the hardest hit was the hospitality industry.
“The hospitality industry has really taken the brunt of the impact of COVID — 40% of the jobs lost, nationally, have been in hospitality,” explained Fieseler. “It’s certainly one of the reasons why we’re looking to travel and tourism to help lead the recovery.”
Fieseler said a lot of downtown restaurants and businesses came up with creative ways to accommodate customers throughout the pandemic. He also said the Frederick community really came together to support the local businesses.
“Right from the very beginning, as soon as curbside pick-up was allowed, they’d be out taking advantage of that, recognizing it’s not just the business owners, it’s all the folks that work there that really rely on that business,” Fieseler said.
Fieseler said he’s hopeful that the warm weather will help drive the built up desire to travel. He said many have been requesting to see the Visitor Guide, which Fieseler said is normally a good leading indicator that people feel safe to travel again.
Fieseler also said that the Frederick Visitor Center is turning ten this year. In honor of that milestone, he said the Visitor Center will be handing out Frederick souvenirs to those who stop by throughout the week, while supplies last.
“This week is an opportunity to remind visitors and residents of the incredible contributions of the travel industry not just to our local economy and workforce, but to our community’s identity and culture,” stated Fieseler.
For more information about Visit Frederick, visit: www.visitfrederick.org or call 301-600-4047.