County tourism agencies plan new offices and marketing efforts for the 2011 tourist season, hoping to cash in on the nation's continued recovery from the Great Recession.

A new economic impact survey reports $13.7 billion in visitor spending in Maryland in 2009 — down 5.5 percent from 2008, years when the state and nation were gripped by the economic downturn.

Although Anne Arundel County — with its major asset of Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport — topped other counties in tourism-generated revenues in 2009 with $2.23 billion, Montgomery County was not far behind with $2.17 billion.

The Maryland Office of Tourism released the survey, which was conducted by Global Insight of Boston.

With 19 federal agencies and a strong business community, business travel fuels much of Montgomery's tourism industry, said Kelly Groff, director of the Conference and Visitors Bureau of Montgomery County. But the county, with its many village centers, also offers a rural destination spot for people touring Washington, D.C., she said.

"We're continuing our sales effort to meet with planners to make sure Montgomery County remains their first choice," Groff said. The county also is expanding its Web and social media outreach, she said.

State officials viewed the $13.7 billion total and $1.6 billion in state and local taxes in 2009 as promising, especially because the number of visitors increased from 2008, even though per capita spending fell. Visitor spending declined 5.5 percent, but the state still surpassed the national decrease of 8.8 percent, said Margot Amelia, executive director of the state tourism office.

Most jurisdictions also report hotel revenues up in the first quarter of 2011.

Amelia pointed to National Harbor in Oxon Hill and a more aggressive marketing campaign in Ocean City as draws for more visitors in 2009.

"We're trying to take advantage of our assets as we move forward," said J. Matthew Neitzey, executive director of Prince George's County Conference and Visitors Bureau. Prince George's drew $1.66 billion in visitor spending in 2009.

He said the county wants to do more cooperative advertising with National Harbor to pool marketing funds and efforts. Prince George's also is reaching out to more sporting event groups to draw them to venues such as FedEx Field in Landover.

The county is looking forward to a 3 percent to 4 percent increase in tourism revenues for 2010, Neitzey said.

Tourism industry representatives plan to descend on Annapolis on Jan. 28 to persuade lawmakers to fund the state tourism office's fiscal 2012 marketing budget to the tune of $6 million. The state cut the budget to $5 million in 2010, according to the Maryland Tourism Council, which is hosting the event at the Miller Senate Office Building.

Other county offices have their own strategies for boosting tourism this year. Howard and Frederick counties' tourism offices are opening new visitor centers in July and April, respectively.

Howard also has added a sales director for more outreach and will launch a new visitor magazine in April and website in June, said Rachelina Bonacci, executive director of the Howard County Tourism Council.

Visitors spent about $736 million in Howard in 2009, falling from $780 million in 2008. Howard's tourism attractions include culinary promotions such as Restaurant Week, cultural venues such as Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, a 30-day cherry tree festival similar to the one in Washington, D.C., and hiking and biking trails.

"Being an affluent bedroom community, we ought to connect our activities to the ones in the major surrounding metropolitan cities," Bonacci said.

Howard also might raise its hotel tax from 5 percent to 7 percent, which could double its tourism budget, she said.

Frederick County is gearing up for activities commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, including events in April and May built around Maryland legislators' meeting in Frederick to debate seceding from the Union, said John Fieseler, executive director of the Tourism Council of Frederick County.

Prince George's also is hosting Civil War events at Surratt House in Clinton and plans for War of 1812 programs in Bladensburg and Upper Marlboro.

Fieseler said the county also is well-positioned for the farm-to-table phenomenon, which shows how food is produced locally. The recent television celebrity of Frederick's own Bryan Voltaggio of Volt has helped the county build its reputation for great dining, Fieseler said.

Frederick had $367.2 million in visitor expenditures in 2009.

Amelia's office often works with tourism offices to develop marketing cooperatives, such as sports marketing, and offers $2.3 million in cooperative grants.

"Tourism is such an important revenue generator for the state. We're proud of the job we're doing," she said.

lrobbins@gazette.net