HAGERSTOWN – The Hagerstown and Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau held its annual membership meeting on May 21 at Meritus Park. The organization celebrated its recent accomplishments with presentations to a large crowd. The CVB, which invites tourists and regional travelers to “visit Hagerstown” and other attractions in Washington County, helps the local economy by promoting tourism through events, attractions and new visitor experiences.
The event’s hosting venue was a fitting locale for the occasion. Meritus Park opened in 2024 to rave reviews as the new home of the Hagerstown Boxcars, a team competing in the Atlantic League in professional baseball. The CVB’s luncheon took place in an event space overlooking the ballfield with a panoramic view of downtown Hagerstown.
Visit Hagerstown’s President Dan Spedden served as the event’s host, which provided members with a brief financial report, followed by a synopsis of the past year’s activities, a look forward to optimistic plans and award recognition to valued members. Spedden introduced the current board members and CVB staff, saying, “I love working with these people.”
Spedden gave a brief overview of the organization, which is funded primarily by lodging taxes ($1.4 million in 2024) and state and federal grant money ($1.2 million yearly). Membership dues and advertising in CVB media round out its funding sources. The president said that after record years for Washington County tourism from 2021 to 2023, last year missed becoming a new high point by only 2 percent. He pointed to a video chart showing rising tourism dollars spent in Washington County, saying, “I’m going to need a bigger graph.” Spedden was positive that 2025 would mimic earlier off-the-chart growth.
The opening of Meritus Park instigated increased traffic to Visit Hagerstown’s website, which hit record numbers with 344,000 online sessions and 247,000 unique visitors. High interest in the CVB’s webcam, showing the baseball park’s construction, boosted interest. The organization made its biggest ad buy ever with a TV and digital advertising campaign, utilizing the MASN network to draw new baseball fans to Hagerstown. That promotion paid off as over 1,100 people flew into the area to take in a ballgame, bringing $385,000 to local businesses.
Tourism brought in a total of $359 million in 2024, and 4,728 people in Washington County are employed in the industry, making up 7.6 percent of the workforce. Food and beverage was the number one revenue category, followed by transportation, lodging, retail and recreation. While recreation was fifth in total volume, Spedden pointed out that the category comprised state and national park visits, which are typically free to travelers.
“We’ve built a strong economy around those outdoor amenities,” Spedden said.
During the past year, Washington County’s CVB helped launch “Let’s Go C&O,” a four-county cooperative promotion that includes Frederick, Montgomery, and Allegheny counties. The marketing for that campaign wants to lure travelers to the linear recreation paradise, which runs from Washington, D.C., to Cumberland, Maryland. Once in the area, seasoned travelers will explore scenic byways and visit charming small towns to experience other attractions like wineries, bed and breakfast inns and other historic sites. “The C&O Canal is our number one tourist attraction,” Spedden said, “and it’s becoming known across the country.”
The CVB highlighted other accomplishments, including distributing 89,000 printed Visitor Guides to curious tourists worldwide. The meeting’s presentation included the CVB’s most popular cities, states and countries that seek visits to Washington County. Included among visitors last year were tourists from Peru and Switzerland. Locally, the Appalachian region’s U.S. states proved the most interested in a trip to Hagerstown. An impressive 1.4 million visitors came to Washington County last year, and 43 percent (600,000) stayed at least one overnight at a local hotel.
The organization also hosted many group tours, which included media events. Spedden said the CVB also worked with the Hagerstown Aviation Museum to sponsor a well-received event, and they hope the venue will continue as a first-class site for further group outings.
Spedden thanked the 300 CVB members, who represent a variety of tourism-related businesses in the Washington County region. He was pleased to announce that their membership retention rate was high (92 percent), and the organization achieved its goals through cooperation and collaboration with these participating businesses. The CVB presented awards to its 10- and 20-year members to thank them for their continuous support.
As the presentation shifted to upcoming plans, Spedden was excited about opening a new Visitor’s Center soon, although he announced no specific timetable. The CVB has already picked out a property, the old Antietam Paper Company building in downtown Hagerstown. Spedden noted it was a central location, could accommodate more bus traffic and was close to the new ballpark. He envisions a first-class exhibit space that looks like a National Park venue. The organization needs to raise more funding, but “It’s going to be worth it,” Spedden said. “We have to roll up our sleeves and get it done.”
Also, in the coming year, Spedden said the CVB will help celebrate America’s 250th anniversary with several events, host multiple sports tournaments in golf, BMX racing and softball, and will also be an advocate for new tourism training for area hospitality professionals. This educational curriculum will partner with Hagerstown Community College.
Spedden has been at the CVB’s helm for 11 years, following a Maryland State Park system career. He’s enjoying a second phase of his work life in Hagerstown and is proud of the area’s many historic attractions and cultural sites. “People love this area and keep coming back.” He said many travelers come from larger cities and appreciate the small towns and laid-back atmosphere in Washington County.
The Hagerstown and Washington County CVB’s continuing success shows that intelligent planning and close-knit partnerships help build the tourism base and keep it moving forward. “We have well-branded, quality hotels here,” Spedden said. “The area also has smart investors.”
He sees no limit to economic growth built on tourism. The organization (visithagerstown.com) constantly evaluates new avenues to capitalize on the area’s rich reserve of unique venues made more sustainable by thousands of dedicated tourism professionals.
