Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/633921
B M & T ••• November/December 2015 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 22 MARYLAND T ravelers to Maryland can choose from a lengthy list of Black heritage sites to explore. The capital city of Annapolis is home to the Banneker-Douglass Museum, the Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial and the Thurgood Marshall Memorial at the Maryland State House. The Frederick Douglass Museum and Cultural Center is located in Highland Beach, in Anne Arundel County. Columbia is the home of the African Art Museum of Maryland and the Howard County Center of African-American Culture, along with an exhibit at Columbia Air Center commemorating the site of the state's first Black-owned and operated airfield. On Maryland's Eastern Shore, the Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center and other related sites in Cambridge pay tribute to the most prominent figure in the Underground Railroad. Maryland's nearly 4,000 miles of shoreline, including the Chesapeake Bay and 31 miles of Atlantic Coast, provide great settings for fishing, sail- ing and beachcombing. BALTIMORE B altimore is best known for its beautiful waterfront, world-class museums, authentic history and convenient East Coast location. Pulling from a region of more than 50 million people, it's easy for leisure visitors and convention attendees alike to travel to Baltimore whether arriving by car, Amtrak or via air into Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, located just 15 minutes from downtown. Tourism is an important economic engine in Baltimore. In 2014, the city welcomed a record 24.5 million visitors, a large percentage of which were African-American travelers. In fact, according to data from Longwoods International, in recent years 18 percent of both leisure day-trip and overnight visitors to Baltimore were African-American, as compared to the national average of 8 percent. Baltimore offers dozens of facilities – from casual, elegant and hip to exquisitely traditional, perfect for meetings of all sizes. The Baltimore Convention Center (BCC) can accommodate up to 75 percent of today's meetings and conven- tions with 300,000 sq. ft. of exhib- it space, 50 flexible meeting rooms and a 36,672-sq. ft. ball- room. The BCC has invested in upgrades, including a recently completed outdoor terrace that can serve as an event spa ce or place to relax, new audio systems, enhanced Wi-Fi, and upgraded culinary offerings. The BCC and the city's hotels have also put a number of green initiatives in place, and many Baltimore hotels and attractions – as well as the BCC – are Maryland Green Travel partners. Baltimore's popularity as a multicultural meetings destina- tion continues to grow. Since July 2010, the city has played host to more than 35 multicul- tural meetings and is set to host of number of influential groups in the future. In 2016 the National Urban League, the nation's oldest and largest community-based civil rights organization will convene in August. In 2017 the NAACP Annual Convention, Alpha Phi Alpha General Convention, and Islamic Circle of North America are all on the calendar. And the Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles Mystic Shrine's Imperial Council Session will call Baltimore home in 2019. Visitors will find it easy to explore Baltimore's cultural legacies in their free time via the Baltimore Legends & Legacies Heritage Pass, which provides discounted admission to the city's premier African-American cultural institutions includ- ing the National Great Blacks In Wax Museum, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture, and the Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park. Baltimore also offers an award-winning Dream Baltimore Heritage Guide. This free visitor guide, specifically dedicated to the city's multicultural history and attractions, is available for visitors online, at the Baltimore Visitor Center, at other locations around the city and by request via mail. To learn more about the benefits of hosting a meeting or special event in Baltimore visit www.baltimore.org or call (800) 343-3468. Baltimore skyline