The Hogan administration announced that 116 matching grants totaling $5.03 million were awarded to Maryland nonprofits, local jurisdictions and other heritage tourism organizations by the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority (MHAA). These grant funds support heritage tourism projects and activities that draw visitors and expand economic development and tourism-related job creation throughout Maryland.

Organizations receiving grant awards include museums, parks, educational organizations, and other entities that steward and celebrate the unique cultural and natural resources located within one of Maryland’s Heritage Areas.

MHAA oversees Maryland’s system of 13 locally-administered, state-certified heritage areas. Today, all Maryland counties and Baltimore City have at least part of a state-certified heritage area within their boundaries. Heritage areas foster broad public-private partnerships to preserve and enhance the best of Maryland’s historic sites and towns, unspoiled natural landscapes, and enduring traditions.

Maryland’s heritage areas contribute to Maryland’s economy by saving and enhancing the places that attract heritage tourists – people who focus their travels on historic sites, museums, cultural activities, or the natural beauty of Maryland’s Atlantic and Chesapeake Bay coastal areas and unspoiled scenery of Mountain Maryland. The Maryland Heritage Areas Program provides $2.4 billion in annual economic impact and MHAA grants generate $319.8 million in state and local taxes and supports 33,815 full- and part-time jobs annually.

A full economic impact study can be found at https://mht.maryland.gov/heritageareas_impact.shtml.