Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County (VAAAC) received two awards during the 36th Annual Maryland Tourism & Travel Summit (November 2-4) at the Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards. VAAAC President and CEO Connie Del Signore accepted the Visit Maryland and the Cooperative Partnership awards during two separate recognition ceremonies on November 3rd.
The Maryland Office of Tourism Development (OTD) and the Maryland Tourism Development Board presented the Visit Maryland award, recognizing VAAAC for three new interactive media microsites the organization introduced with the launch of its refreshed VisitAnnapolis.org website in May 2016. The targeted microsites use stories and video blogs to address the wants and desires of three distinct groups of travelers – foodies, historians and explorers. The niche marketed FoodieAnnapolis.com, HistorianAnnapolis.com and ExplorerAnnapolis.com blog sites provide insider recommendations and insights on how best to experience Annapolis “Like a Local”. In six months’ time, the microsites have built a following of 20,000 social fans and generated a combined total of more than 34,000 visits.
Criteria considered for the Visit Maryland award were: outstanding investment and performance in improving and promoting Maryland’s image as a travel destination; use of new and innovative interactive media; other unique activities with measured proof of performance.
The Maryland Tourism Coalition presented VAAAC with its Cooperative Partnership Award in recognition of the scholarship fund Del Signore established with the Maryland Tourism Education Foundation in May 2015. Since that time, four scholarships have been awarded to individuals pursuing careers in the hospitality industry.
Presented by the Maryland Tourism Coalition, the November 2-4 Maryland Tourism & Travel Summit is Maryland’s signature tourism and hospitality event of the year.
