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Related Topics: BALTIMORE
BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Don’t call it a comeback.
With his staff and local businesses rallying behind new Baltimore Area Convention and Visitor’s Association President and Chief Executive Officer Tom Noonan, a booming year for tourism in Charm City appears ready to smash last year’s impressive record of 352,000 room bookings.
Through the third fiscal quarter of 2007, BACVA reported slightly fewer than 300,000 rooms booked in area hotels. With an optimistic approach, it is very conceivable for the end number to reach more than 370,000 bookings by the end of BACVA’s fiscal year on June 30.
With BACVA reporting for fiscal 2006 that visitors who stayed over in Baltimore contributed $2.17 billion to its economy, this boom in hotel rooms could be a large coup.
“We are getting a lot of buzz from the meeting planning community and all signs are very positive,” Noonan said.
Despite a projected shortfall of booked conventions citywide in 2008 through 2010, Noonan’s aggressive approach of cultivating other areas as stopgaps seems to be growing legs. To help bridge the shortage, Noonan already has booked a convention for 2008 since his appointment in January. This Department of Defense meeting, known nationally as “Air of Hope,” should bring about 1,300 rooms on peak night alone.
“Tourism is the historic core driver of the city’s economy and the convention is the key driver within the tourism sector,” said Richard Clinch, director of economic development at the University of Baltimore. “BACVA can truly be successful. They made the case it needed the convention center [Hilton] hotel to reach the next level.”
In addition to his other initiatives, Noonan is perhaps most excited about a proposed Baltimore City-wide alliance that would unite area hotels and organizations. Through this alliance, the group would work together and sacrifice certain room blocks or set aside possible future reservations in order to provide the city with more bargaining chips for BACVA and other groups who are out marketing Baltimore.
“For the most part it’s an agreement where the bureau, the convention center and the hotels are all going to play well together in the sandbox and put our best foot forward,” Noonan said.
Room Reservations by Year (rounded off):
» 2004: 228,000
» 2005: 265,000
» 2006: 352,000
» 2007 (projected): 370,000
Figures provided by BACVA
dcarey@baltimoreexaminer.com
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10:42 AM MST on Tue., Aug. 5, 2008 re: "Area may make history, again"
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Examiner Reader said:
The 2000 census recorded 8.5% of the Tenderloin population as youth (under 18 years of age). Where did the over 500 additional youth come from?
4 agree | 2 disagree
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Examiner Reader for the laughs said:
Yes, if we can finally get a Tenderloin supermarket and get rid of some of the corner liquor stores that would be more of an accomplishment for the residents. Having a museum helps those who would make money off of it. The residents need quality food and hope for a brighter future. If the property owners are looking for a boost in their value of property they should work with the community and not hide behind limited partnerships and incompetent property managers.
9 agree | 2 disagree
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Examiner Reader for the laughs said:
Here is another story about the Tenderloin were paid employees are contacted by the media to discuss the exact same issues they are making a living on. Again, another news article that disempowers residents into mere statistics. So, who exactly going to make some money related to this article?
10 agree | 2 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Many of the tenderloin's residents live there because they can AFFORD to. Immigrants can get a start there and its a place where people on fixed incomes can make something of a home. What I'm hearing here is a call for gentrification in search of increased rents. Where are the current residents going to move? Its not like San Francisco needs one more costly neighborhood to live in.
3 agree | 3 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
they should have an oral history of prostitution in the tenderloin museum. heh, i know that gal!
2 agree | 9 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
""As it stands, the neighborhood has dozens of empty storefronts and one of the highest crime rates in The City — though only about 15 percent of that crime is perpetrated by people who live there, said Tenderloin Police Station Capt. Gary Jimenez. As of July, the Tenderloin had seen about 3,500 arrests. The area is one of five San Francisco neighborhoods where police have boosted manpower to curb violent crime."" Can anyone please confirm that Supervisor Daly is moving from his condo on Stevenson Street to Eddy so he will oversee the non-gentrification of his District 6. Remember the Supervisor does not want any trees planted on Eddy since that will beautify the area and bring in the white yuppies....yeah right typical Karl Rove technique..yeah its all the white yuppies fault. While your at it why not throw in the guppies and families with children.
3 agree | 5 disagree
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Sean from Baltimore said:
Remember the original variety, quirkiness and charm of the Pavilions? It's GONE. The interior layout has been hacked up and blocked off, restaurants keep closing, and the remaining high-quality specialty shops are leaving one by one. The upper floor of the Light Street Pavilion is a WASTELAND beyond the food court. General Growth Properties has done a HORRIBLE job.
6 agree | 6 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
rouse, then owner, said this about horrible place 10 years ago, hat in hand for city $. do your homework. some figures and perspective might make your business stories relevant to somebody.
6 agree | 6 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
journalism -- or press release, which some construe and present to the world as journalism on the cheap. it shows.
6 agree | 4 disagree
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Bill said:
um...Fire & Ice *is* a national chain. Ok, so fill the empty space with 'upscale national retailers'. What have you got? TowsonTown Center South. BFD.
6 agree | 5 disagree
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Rocko said:
I was in OC this past weekend and it was VERY quiet down there. Much fewer people than I am used to seeing this time of year. I have been going to OC at least8 times per year over the past 20 years, and it was much quieter than usual.
4 agree | 5 disagree
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mike johnson said:
As a native born Baltimorean, I have always had an inferiority complex next to Philly and Washington DC. There have been places that are must-sees for people coming into town, like the architecture around Mount Vernon, the restaurants of Little Italy and Inner Harbor East, the wineries in Carroll and Harford County (in season), and the world class gems of the Walters and BMA. Historically, Philadelphia shined in the colonial period and has been lovingly restored. Washington is the home of a thousand federally funded tourist attractions. Baltimore became a major city in that period of time after the powdered wig era and before Washington became capital of the world. Americans have lost track of how much of the US of today would not exist without the sailing ships, steam locomotives, warehouseman and factory workers that met here. Show me the last time one of the conventioneers was murdered in Baltimore. Baltimore is a city, not Disneyland, but I like it.
283 agree | 288 disagree
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