By Particular Press Launch
BALTIMORE, MD — Go to Baltimore, the official vacation spot gross sales and advertising and marketing group for the town of Baltimore, introduced as we speak that President & CEO Al Hutchinson has determined to not renew his contract when it expires on June 30, 2025. A committee made up of a number of members of the Baltimore Conference & Tourism Board (BCTB), led by Board Chair Charles “Chuck” Tildon, III, has been established to assist guarantee a easy transition. Hutchinson has agreed to remain on in a advisor position to help with the transition a minimum of till his successor is recognized. Extra particulars will likely be made obtainable by the committee within the coming weeks.
“Serving as President & CEO of Go to Baltimore has been the chance of a lifetime,” stated Hutchinson. “It has been probably the most difficult job that I’ve ever had and likewise probably the most fulfilling. After cautious consideration, I’ve determined to step again from full-time govt management to give attention to different private pursuits and alternatives, as soon as my present contract concludes. Baltimore’s potential as a premier vacation spot continues to flourish, and the muse we’ve constructed over the previous a number of years ensures that our metropolis’s tourism trade will proceed to thrive.”
Underneath Hutchinson’s management, Go to Baltimore achieved quite a few milestones that reworked the town’s tourism panorama, together with:
Document-breaking visitation of 27.5 million guests in 2023, with home journey producing $4 billion for the town’s financial system.Successful the bid to host the celebrated 2033 American Society of Affiliation Executives (ASAE) Annual Assembly and Exposition, projected to generate $15-$18 million in financial affect for .Establishing a Tourism Enchancment District, which gives extra sources straight from the town’s inns in direction of gross sales and advertising and marketing efforts that generate tax income from guests.Main a full advertising and marketing rebrand and launching “Smalltimore,” an modern cell customer middle that showcases Baltimore’s arts, historical past and tradition.Fostering initiatives constructed on social inclusion, such because the Heat Welcome Program, BoP Go, Apprenticeships and an everlasting Nationwide HBCU Scholarship.Securing Baltimore because the host metropolis for the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Affiliation (CIAA) Males’s and Ladies’s Basketball Event, which generated $32.5 million in financial affect, $3.1 million in state and native taxes, and created 1,315 part-time, and full-time jobs in 2024. CIAA will return to Baltimore Feb. 25-March 1 for the fifth 12 months and is dedicated to the town by 2026.
“Al’s imaginative and prescient and dedication have been instrumental in elevating Baltimore’s profile on the nationwide stage,” stated Tildon. “Underneath his management, we’ve seen Baltimore remodel right into a vacation spot that not solely attracts important leisure visitation but in addition attracts marquee conventions and occasions that drive vital financial affect for the town. His most enduring legacy is the world-class group he has constructed and the collaborative tradition he has fostered inside the group.”
Throughout Hutchinson’s eight years in Baltimore, the group has strengthened group partnerships by highlighting native artists and makers whereas celebrating native visionaries who’ve enhanced the town’s cultural panorama and vacationer attraction.
“Underneath Al’s transformative management, Baltimore’s tourism trade has thrived, bringing guests, funding and new alternatives to our metropolis,” stated Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “We’re grateful for Al’s many contributions to Baltimore. His dedication to telling constructive, community-focused tales that showcase the breadth and variety of our neighborhoods has set the stage for a vivid future.”
Baltimore’s tourism and hospitality trade has proven exceptional progress throughout Hutchinson’s tenure, and with a devoted group in place, Go to Baltimore is well-positioned to construct on this momentum and proceed its constructive trajectory.
ABOUT VISIT BALTIMORE
Go to Baltimore is the official gross sales and advertising and marketing arm for the Metropolis of Baltimore. The 501(c)(6) non-profit group generates financial advantages for stakeholders by the attraction of conference, group and leisure guests. In 2023, 27.5 million individuals visited Baltimore for in a single day and day journeys, producing a complete of $4 billion to Baltimore’s financial system. For extra info, please go to www.Baltimore.org.
