Photo by Ed Waters, Jr. Hannah Byron, assistant secretary of the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, spoke Thursday morning to Brunswick business owners about the importance of tourism, film and the arts to the state’s economy. At left is Curt Gaul, who spoke of the increased tourism along the C&O Canal. At right is Brunswick Mayor Carroll Jones. Purchase this photo

Byron spoke Thursday morning to the Brunswick business community during a breakfast at city hall.

Tourism, film and the arts help bring business to Maryland and retain businesses already here, she said. A new aspect of her division, one which she started, focuses on sports centers in the state.

"That was one of my babies," she said. "We can bring a lot of people in with things like the Army-Navy Game, lacrosse, professional teams. It helps the sports facilities, owners, vendors, the entire state economy."

The downturn has taken its toll on tourism promotions, she said.

"We are a lean machine," she said. "There are budget cuts, but we are still generating revenue."

Byron said TV advertising was cut from tourism's budget, even though that was the best way to promote the state.

"Hopefully, we can get back on TV," she said. "Now it's the Internet and radio."

Tourism and hospitality are the fourth-largest employers in the state, with revenues of $3.8 billion in 2007 and providing more than 140,000 jobs.

She commended Frederick County for "doing it right" in tourism promotion efforts. She said John Fieseler, executive director of the Tourism Council of Frederick County, will be on the state tourism board soon. She said the local tourism office did an excellent job of promoting historic, recreational, cultural and entertainment resources in the county.

"We are always looking for ideas or events coming up in your city, county or area," she said.

One of her special interests is the film part of the department's operations. Although a number of films have been shot in the state, it has become challenging to bring more in.

"It has become very incentive-based," Byron said, "and even people who filmed a lot in Maryland, such as John Waters and Barry Levinson, are going to other states with more monetary incentive to film their movies there."

But she still likes to promote Maryland as "Hollywood of the East."

National Park Service Ranger Curt Gaul said more than 3 million visitors trekked along the C&O Canal towpath this past year.

"We are getting higher local users because of the economy. Instead of going somewhere else, folks are coming to the canal."

He said a program, called Trail Towns, co-promotes the canal pathway and such places as Brunswick and Williamsport, which are located along the route.

Gaul said three lock houses along the canal are being prepared for overnight stays, with two more potentially set for the program. "It's not a bed and breakfast. It's pretty rustic. But people said they wanted to stay in a lock house, so we are working on that."