2021 is shaping into an exciting year for Visit Frederick — Frederick’s local tourism council.
Check out some of the highlights below:
Travel Returns to Frederick
“So far this year we’ve welcomed visitors from 41 different states and 3 countries. Comparing 2021 to 2019 we’re seeing visitation numbers approaching normal. March 2021 saw a 1% increase in visitation and April 2021 was down by 12%, the mid-May numbers were only 8% down.
We’re seeing a shift in why visitors are coming to Frederick. Outdoor Recreation and History are consistently the top reasons for visitors, but shopping has been a higher percentage than before. March saw 16% of visitors listing shopping as their primary interest, compared to 7% in 2019. April was 12% rather than 9%. So far in May, shopping is ranked as the third highest visitor interest at 19%. The return to travel for the purpose of shopping is a good signal that the pandemic tendency to stick with outdoor activity may be ending!” - Melissa Muntz, Visit Frederick
John Fieseler Retires after 23 Years — Dave Ziedelis Named New Executive Director
A Message from New Executive Director: Dave Ziedelis
I am very appreciative to the Visit Frederick Board of Directors in naming me as the next Executive Director and to continue the remarkable legacy of John Fieseler. During these challenging times of the pandemic we are all seeking and searching for the eventual return to normalcy - and that striving for normalcy definitely applies to our local Tourism as well.
Our number one goal at Visit Frederick is to return and expand upon our pre-pandemic local Tourism economic impact numbers of 2.1 million annual visitors to Frederick County generating over $426 million in annual visitor spending. We need to promote and strengthen many of our existing assets such as our historic downtowns, designated Main Street communities, heritage sites, outdoor activities and events, agritourism and craft beverage industries, etc. while also continuing to move new major programs and projects forward.
Dave Ziedelis, New Executive Director of VisitFrederick
Visitor Center Building Celebrates 10 Year Anniversary
After three decades of operating out of a shared building on Church Street, Frederick’s Visitor Center was moved to its current location at 151 Frederick Visitor Center in 2011. The site once home to the Frederick Spoke Factory, which was in active production at the end of the 19th century. The current building's history can be traced to circa-1899, when it was constructed as a warehouse of the Monocacy Valley Canning Company.
Following extensive renovation, the new Visitor Center’s doors open on April 2, 2011 and countless visitors have been welcomed in ever since.
Learn more about VisitFrederick at: https://www.visitfrederick.org/.