FREDERICK, Md., Jan. 24, 2026 — Visit Frederick has officially adopted its Strategic Plan for 2026–2031, a five-year roadmap intended to direct tourism growth while safeguarding the quality of life for residents throughout Frederick County. The plan outlines a distinct vision for fortifying the visitor economy via collaboration, stewardship, and data-driven decision-making, ensuring that tourism continues to offer substantial benefits to the community.
Tourism remains a crucial driver of Frederick County’s economy, supporting thousands of jobs, hundreds of local businesses, and over $500 million in annual visitor spending. The new strategic plan builds upon this foundation, setting priorities that balance economic opportunity with community values as the county continues to grow and develop.
“Tourism is one of Frederick County’s unassuming success stories,” said Dave Ziedelis, Executive Director of Visit Frederick. “It supports local jobs, strengthens small businesses, and helps fund the amenities and experiences that make this a wonderful place to live. This plan gives us a clear path forward to safeguard and expand those benefits for the entire community.”
Developed over an eight-month process in partnership with Coraggio Group, the plan reflects extensive engagement with residents, local leaders, tourism partners, and visitors. Surveys, interviews, and public listening sessions helped shape a shared vision for how tourism should grow responsibly and sustainably over the next five years.
The Strategic Plan focuses on four core imperatives: driving visitation and visitor spending across all of Frederick County; fostering positive community sentiment toward tourism; building organizational capacity to manage growth; and formalizing Visit Frederick’s destination stewardship framework. Together, these priorities aim to extend visitor stays, support emerging markets such as meetings and conferences, and ensure tourism investment aligns with resident priorities.
“This plan acknowledges that the tourism landscape is changing, and so is Frederick County,” Ziedelis said. “We are welcoming new residents, new businesses, and new opportunities. This strategy helps us navigate that growth thoughtfully, so tourism strengthens our communities rather than overwhelming them.”
A key focus of the plan is destination stewardship – ensuring that tourism development enhances historic preservation, natural resources, infrastructure, and overall quality of life. Visit Frederick will continue to work closely with municipalities, Main Street organizations, nonprofits, and local businesses to align tourism promotion with community needs and long-term sustainability.
Visit Frederick’s 2026–2031 Strategic Plan is available in both a full booklet and a one-page summary at visitfrederick.org. The organization will commence implementing the plan immediately, using it as a guiding framework for marketing, partnerships, community engagement, and investment decisions in the years to come.
Visit Frederick will host a public meeting to share details of the 2026–2031 Strategic Plan and gather community feedback on Wednesday, February 4 at 10am at the Frederick Visitor Center. Residents, partners, and stakeholders are encouraged to attend and learn more about how the plan will guide tourism growth in Frederick County.
Visit Frederick enhances economic vitality and community pride by developing and promoting tourism that improves the quality of life for both residents and visitors. As the official and designated Destination Marketing Organization for Frederick City and Frederick County, Visit Frederick leads the care and growth of the local visitor economy through stewardship, collaboration, and strategic investment.
For more information, go to visitfrederick.org or call 301-600-4047.
SOURCE Visit Frederick