Visit Frederick Marks 50 Years with Record Visitor Spending and Hotel Tax Revenue in Frederick County

FREDERICK, Md., Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- At its annual meeting held on October 15 at Musket Ridge Golf Club in Myersville, Visit Frederick celebrated its 50th anniversary and another record-setting year for Frederick County's tourism industry.

Executive Director Dave Ziedelis announced that visitors spent a record $590 million in Frederick County in 2025, a 4.6% increase over the previous year. Statewide, visitor spending dipped 0.05% over the same period. According to Tourism Economics, it was the fourth straight year that visitor spending in the county topped $500 million.

Tourism Economics also reports that 2.2 million visitors traveled to Frederick County in 2025, a 5.1% increase over 2024 that outpaced statewide visitation growth of 3.6%. It was the county's fifth straight year of visitation growth since the pandemic. That total includes 776,500 overnight visitors and 1.4 million day-trip visitors.

Frederick County's hotel rental tax revenue set an all-time high for the second year in a row, reaching $73.5 million in FY26 - a 12% increase over FY25. It marks the fourth time in county history that hotel rental tax revenue has topped $60 million. Revenue from overnight stays funds Visit Frederick's marketing and its grant programs for local nonprofits, Main Streets, and destination development.

Visitor spending supported 6,367 jobs in Frederick County in 2025, or 5.8% of the county's total employment. Visitors spent $181 million at local restaurants and craft beverage businesses, $85 million on recreation, and $71 million at local retail businesses.

Frederick County also outperformed statewide trends on tax revenue and jobs. Tourism-generated tax revenue in the county - federal, state, local, and hotel - rose 6.6%, while statewide tourism tax revenue fell 0.3%. Direct tourism employment in Frederick County grew 7.1%, compared with a 1.8% decline statewide. Since the county's hotel rental tax began in 2003, visitors have spent more than $8.7 billion in Frederick County.

"Fifty years ago, a group of business owners and community leaders believed Frederick County had a story worth telling," said Dave Ziedelis, Executive Director of Visit Frederick. "Last year, that story brought 2.2 million visitors to our county, and they spent a record $590 million here. Those results belong to our partners - the small businesses, Main Streets, attractions, and hotels that welcome visitors to Frederick County every day."

Visit Frederick got its start in 1976, the year the United States turned 200, when the Tourism Council of Frederick County spun off from the Chamber of Commerce. To prepare for its next 50 years, the organization adopted a 2026–2031 Strategic Plan in FY26 that sets priorities for marketing, product development, and partnership growth. The plan is available at visitfrederick.org/about-us/strategic-plan-26.

During the meeting, Visit Frederick shared highlights from the previous year. In FY26, Visit Frederick distributed about $1 million through three countywide programs: more than $337,000 through the Tourism Reinvestment in Promotion & Product (TRIPP) program, more than $343,000 to the county's four designated Main Streets through the Main Street Communities Cooperative Program, and $318,000 through the Destination Development Fund. Since the programs began, the three initiatives have invested $9.7 million in Frederick County communities.

The Frederick Visitor Center welcomed 19,190 walk-in visitors in FY26 and recorded 18,684 visitor interactions, up 16% from FY25. The center also activated 4,457 Downtown Frederick gift cards worth a combined $330,980. Top origins outside Maryland included Virginia, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., Florida, and New Jersey. International visitors arrived most often from Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia.

Visit Frederick welcomed 25 new partner members in FY26 and counts more than 400 members across Frederick County.

The annual meeting also recognized standout contributors to the local tourism industry:

Rose Chaney was named the 2026 Tourism Ambassador of the Year for years of service with the African American Resources, Cultural, and Heritage Society of Frederick County (AARCH Society).

Brewer's Alley, a cornerstone of Downtown Frederick's dining scene, received the award for Top Visitor Guide Distribution for the second year in a row.

Visit Frederick also earned statewide recognition in FY26. The Maryland Tourism Coalition presented its 2025 Best Digital Campaign Award to Let's Go C&O, a regional campaign by Visit Frederick, Visit Montgomery, Visit Hagerstown & Washington County, Allegany County, and Postern Agency.

Visit Frederick is the recognized Destination Marketing Organization for the City of Frederick and Frederick County, Maryland. Founded in 1976, it operates the Frederick Visitor Center and manages destination marketing and group tour programs that promote Frederick County's history, culture, and hospitality.

For more information about Visit Frederick, visit www.visitfrederick.org or call 301-600-4047.

SOURCE Visit Frederick