“Maryland’s selection to host Youth Soccer Region Championships in 2013 and 2014 reinforces our profile as a premier destination for high-profile sporting events,” said Governor Martin O’Malley. “Organizers can count on having all the support and resources necessary for staging a first-class event. In return, Maryland will receive an economic stimulus that will benefit many of our small businesses, particularly in the hospitality industry.”

Hasseltine, who has also been involved with the selection of two Maryland venues as possible World Cup sites, said: “What makes youth soccer so attractive is that it's obviously not just the players and coaches who will come to Maryland – it's their families and friends, too. We certainly have all the attractions and recreational opportunities here that can make their visits memorable.”

Now, Maryland's Office of Tourism has designated March as a time to encourage girls' getaways through its Maryland Spotlight campaign – a monthly promotion that highlights distinctive aspects of Maryland tourism.

Margot Amelia, the office's executive director, says: “March is a great time to plan a Maryland getaway – whether it's to a B&B, an urban hotel or a relaxing resort. And, with spring on the horizon, travelers can select lots of outdoors options: hiking and biking, horseback riding, boating, and bird-watching, for instance.”

New bill spells out what a Md. winery can do
The Maryland Wineries Association (MWA) has developed legislation that defines – “once and for all – what it means to be a winery,” said Kevin Atticks, MWA's executive director. “It clears up confusing and inconsistent statutes and gives new industry-entrants the ability to know exactly what they can and cannot do as a winery.”

The legislation – called the Maryland Winery Modernization Act – is the product of MWA's effort to reach a consensus with retailers and wholesalers in the wine industry, Atticks said. He cited support from Mary Ann Love, chair of the Economic Matters' Alcohol Subcommittee in the House of Delegates and the Office of the Comptroller. Del. Love and Sen. Joan Carter Conway are sponsors of the bill. A legislative hearing is scheduled for Friday, March 5, in the Senate.

Among the provisions in the proposed law: Wineries can sell their wine for on- and off-premise consumption, seven days a week, and serve specific food items at their wineries. Also, retailers can sell and promote Maryland wines at farmers' markets.

“This is a historic victory for the U.S. economy and the one in eight American workers whose jobs depend on travel,” said Roger Dow, U.S. Travel's president and CEO.

According to U.S. Travel, the nation has not kept pace with the growth in international long-haul travel during the past decade. The number of overseas travelers coming to the U.S. has remained below pre-9-11 levels for nine consecutive years. A consequence of this, U.S. Travel says, is that “lost” visitor spending could have created or sustained 441,000 American jobs during the past decade.

The travel association says an average overseas visitor to the U.S. spends more than $4,000. Oxford Economics estimates that an effective promotion program would bring 1.6 million new international visitors to the U.S. annually and create $4 billion in new spending.

Explore War of 1812 history with GPS technology
A new Star-Spangled Banner (SSB) Geotrail – a multi-state project supported by Friends of Chesapeake Gateways, Maryland Geocaching Society and the National Park Service – opened Saturday, Feb. 27. Like a treasure hunt, geotrails require participants to use hand-held GPS devices to follow a series of clues that lead to hidden caches. The caches relate to a common theme.

The SSB Geotrail encourages travelers to visit a network of more than 30 forts, museums, battlefields, ships, parks and preserves that reflect the history of the War of 1812's Chesapeake Campaign. Most of these sites are designated elements of the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network.

They are also part of the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail – 290 miles of land and water routes in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. Check the Friends of Chesapeake Gateways web site for details about traveling along the SSB Geotrail.

Inquiries for travel information continue to rise
The latest issue of the Maryland Tourism Monitor – the Tourism Office's monthly report that measures visitor activity, advertising response and trends in state travel – is available online.

During this fiscal year, more than 150,000 prospective visitors have responded to the Office's online advertising – a 40 percent increase over last year. Print inquires are up 62 percent and leads from broadcast media rose 8 percent.

Other December findings: BWI arrivals and Amtrak ridership are up from last year. And, tourism-related tax codes – which declined 2.7 percent this fiscal year through November – have outperformed overall sales-tax collections, which declined 6.6 percent from last year.

Montgomery County student wins poetry recitation contest
The Maryland State Poetry Out Loud Finals were held at the Enoch Pratt Central Library's Wheeler Auditorium, Saturday, Feb. 27. Nora Sandler, a student at Richard Montgomery High School in Montgomery County, won the contest with her recitation of “Hate Poem” by Julie Sheehan.

About 100 people watched nine regional winners competing for the title of Maryland State Poetry Out Loud Champion, a prize of $200, and an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C., for the Poetry Out Loud National Finals, April 25-27, sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation.

Stanley Plumly, Maryland's poet laureate, spoke about poetry recitation and read one of his poems. WYPR-radio personality Aaron Henkin hosted the event. Dominick Murray, deputy secretary for the Department of Business and Economic Development, spoke about the legacy of Lucille Clifton, a former Maryland poet laureate who recently died. He then read Clifton's poem “won't you celebrate with me.”

‘Influential Marylander' list includes Hasseltine, Footner
Terry Hasseltine, director of the Office of Sports Marketing, was named one of The Daily Record 's “Influential Marylanders” for 2010. The newspaper cited Hasseltine as the “up-and-comer honoree” in the Civic Leadership category. Each category recognizes six people with one listed as the “up-and-comer.”

Margaret Footner, executive director of the Creative Alliance in Baltimore, was one of the honorees in the Freestyle category. Other categories are: Communication, Education, Finance, Healthcare, Law, Philanthropy, Real Estate and Technology. A cocktail reception will be held April 21 in Baltimore County to salute all honorees.

Sign up for newsletters!