From Tim Engle, General Manager of SpringHill Suites by Marriott
Dear Harford County Taxpayer,
May 7-15th is National Tourism Week. As a local hotelier, I’d like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that Tourism is a significant and essential part of the local economy. One of the most obvious benefits of investing in Tourism is job creation. As tourism grows in Maryland and Harford County so will the number of tourism related jobs. The tourism industry in Maryland employs 134,000 citizens who earn more than $3.8 billion in wages. In Harford County alone over 5,300 local jobs are sustained through tourism. These employees pay their home property taxes, state sales taxes, and spend their pay checks in the local economy. Another positive element of employment generated through tourism is that the money is returned to the local economy. This has a great multiplier effect as it is spent over and over again. Tourism generates jobs directly through hotels, restaurants, taxis, souvenir sales and indirectly through the supply of goods and services needed by tourism-related businesses.
While there are many benefits to the local community by investing in Tourism, one that is not often thought of is the stimulation of infrastructure investment. Tourism can induce the local government to improve the infrastructure by creating better water and sewage systems, roads, electricity, telephone and public transport networks. All of this improves the quality of life for local residents.
One may not stop and think that our State and Local governments rely on the revenues that are generated through Tourism to provide essential public services. Visitors spend over 13 billion dollars in the state of Maryland annually and in Harford County they spend over 350 million dollars. Government revenues from the tourism sector can be categorized as direct and indirect contributions. Direct contributions are generated by taxes on incomes from tourism employment, tourism businesses and by direct charges on tourists. Indirect contributions derive from taxes and duties on goods and services supplied to tourists, for example, taxes on souvenirs, alcohol, and restaurants. What a powerful economic engine for Maryland and Harford County!
As Tourism Week comes to a close, I hope that everyone takes the time to thank a local legislator for their support of tourism programs on the local and state level. These programs need more support so that small businesses like ours can continue to grow and give an even greater return on the local economy. Tourism works for Harford County.
Sincerely,
Tim Engle
General Manager
SpringHill Suites by Marriott
Another “don’t tax us” whine! My husband and I travel off and on and every place we stay has some kind of local tax. We are missing out on a lot by not having a hotel tax. It’s ridiculous!
I can believe that 5,300 jobs are sustained by business travel and tourism, but not tourism alone.