SNOW HILL — Worcester officials this week accepted a grant from the Maryland Tourism Development Board totaling nearly $117,000 for the county’s advertising budget for 2015.
Each year, Worcester County Tourism receives a grant from the state for advertising and marketing. Tourism director Lisa Challenger told the County Commissioners on Tuesday each county in Maryland along with other select jurisdictions receive the grants each year from a formula based on the level of county advertising expenditures and the performance of tourism tax revenues. This year, based on the current formula, Worcester County’s cooperative marketing grant from the state came in at $116.794.
The grant amount varies each year due to the level of the state grant pool and depending on levels of advertising expenditures in other counties across Maryland. Based on Challenger’s recommendation, the Worcester County Commissioners agreed to accept the state grant on Tuesday.
Challenger explained almost 100 percent of the grant funds will be used on advertising in print, on-line and cable and regular television both in and out of the market. She explained the town of Ocean City is recognized as its own entity and receives its own grant from the state, but the two jurisdictions often collaborate on marketing and advertising the entire county.