Mountain Maryland Gateway to the West Heritage Area Economic Impact Estimated at $155.1 Million
Garrett County – Maryland Heritage Areas Authority (MHAA), the governing body of the Maryland Heritage Areas program, released the results of a Program Impact Study conducted over the last year. Statewide, for 2019, the Maryland Heritage Areas Program, including all 13 certified Heritage Areas, had a total statewide economic impact of $2.4 billion and supported approximately 33,815 jobs. It is estimated that nearly 20.7 million tourists in the state are heritage tourists.
In Garrett County, the Mountain Maryland Gateway to the West Heritage Area (MMGTTW) had an economic impact of more than $155 million and supported approximately 1,300 jobs since its certification in 2011. “The economic impact of our heritage sites, recreational activities and business community is an integral part of our tourism economy,” said Peggy Jamison, Chair of the MMGTTW Heritage Area Advisory Board. “The importance of the Heritage Areas Program is measured not only in the economic impact of jobs and revenue generation, but in the continued preservation of our history and heritage. One of our top priorities is the development and celebration of our cultural and historical assets in Garrett County.”
The study was commissioned by MHAA and was conducted by Parker Philips, Inc., a nationally recognized consulting firm specializing in economic impact analyses. In June 2019, MHAA engaged Parker Philips Inc. to measure the economic and societal contribution of Maryland’s 13 Heritage Areas, and their visitors, across the state. The goal of this analysis is to provide a complete assessment of the total economic, employment, and state and local tax impact of Maryland’s Heritage Areas and related heritage tourism.
“An economic contribution analysis is an objective way to measure the significance of an organization in the regional economy. Clearly, MMGTTW is a major contributor to the regional economy and raises the profile and value of heritage tourism.” said Nichole Parker, Co-Founder and Principal Partner at Parker Philips.
Data for the study was provided by MHAA and the Heritage Areas including operational expenditures, grants and leveraged grant dollars for 2019. Since 1996, nearly $43 million in financial assistance has been awarded and more than $1.6 billion in non-state funds has been leveraged for heritage tourism projects and activities. Since 2011, MMGTTW has secured nearly $2 million in heritage funds for Garrett County and has leveraged that to generate additional private investments totaling more than $1.3 million.
Primary data collected from 2,612 surveys was used to calculate spending by visitors. Surveys were collected through the Heritage Areas and online. Additionally, 55 interviews were conducted with key stakeholders at the Heritage Area level to capture the unique voice and story of Maryland’s Heritage Areas. According to the study, a key result of the program and heritage tourism is that MMGTTW supports and sustains 1,327 jobs including direct employment by the MMGTTW, as well as indirect and induced jobs created by supply and equipment vendors, the lodging industry, restaurants and retail stores in support of the MMGTTW’s operations, grantmaking and heritage tourists.
The study also calculated tax revenues generated by this level of economic activity, including sales, property, personal income and corporate income taxes. The study concluded that MMGTTW generates about $12.5 million in tax revenues for state and local government as part of the tourism economy in Garrett County. It is estimated that 1.4 million tourists visit Garrett County each year spending approximately $315 million resulting in a total economic impact of $360 million and generating nearly $8.3 million in state and local taxes.
For a copy of the complete study visit https://bit.ly/mhaaimpact.
A copy of the economic impact report for MMGTTW is available at https://bit.ly/3a0MBli
