Day-trippers and regional tourists have produced a good summer tourist season in downtown Annapolis this year, based on early indicators. But tourism officials said more resources are needed to attract overnight visitors.
“The numbers through our visitor?s center have been up slightly, and anecdotally July was an excellent month for our attractions,” said Connie DelSignore, president of the Annapolis and Anne Arundel Conference and Visitors Bureau. “But our hotel occupancy is still pretty flat.”
Though the traditional end of summer comes Monday, the tourist season in Annapolis typically extends through at least the first weekend in October, when the annual sail-and-powerboat shows are scheduled.
“We?re anticipating overall that this summer will not be as good as last summer,” DelSignore said. She said the last two years had been exceptional and factors including the war in Iraq, high gas prices and other financial concerns could be contributing to a leveling off of tourist traffic.
Wendy Thomas, marketing director for Watermark, a company offering walking tours of historic Annapolis and cruises around the city?s harbor, said the demand for tours has been “on par with other years.” Much of the tourist traffic has come from the Mid-Atlantic region, she said.
In the future, DelSignore said the Visitors Bureau plans to argue for more accommodations revenue to boost its marketing and advertising campaigns.
She said a different level of marketing is needed to keep Annapolis at the top of an ever-growing list of state attractions.
“We?re always looking for ways to encourage people to come downtown and stay,” said Ray Weaver, spokesman for the city of Annapolis. Tourism in Annapolis and Anne Arundel County brings in an estimated $6 million per year, according to the Conference and Visitors Bureau.
Weaver said the city has considered creating a zone of free bus service in and around the downtown area to encourage tourists and shoppers to come to the city?s historic district.
But before any expansion can take place, the city first must find a stable funding source to plug an $800,000 hole in the transit system?s operating budget.
