Annapolis looking to cash in on being a top waterfront destination

Daily Record, The (Baltimore), Aug 15, 2007 by Louis Llovio

Less than 24 hours after Maryland's capital city was named as one of the top waterfront destinations in the United States by National Geographic Adventure magazine, Annapolis' convention and visitors bureau is already looking into ways to cash in.

The group plans to print inserts for its publications, incorporate the selection into future presentations and highlight it on its Web site, said Connie Del Signore, president and CEO of the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Conference and Visitors Bureau.

"This is one more tool we can use to promote the city," she said Wednesday.

That it was a third-party endorsement is particularly important.

Research, she said, has shown that the visitors' bureau gets about a 74 percent response to ads placed in trade and travel magazines. Because this endorsement comes from an outside group, it should draw a lot of attention, she added.

National Geographic Adventure, according to its own figures, has 2.3 million readers.

The magazine, which hit newsstands Tuesday, said the city distinguished itself because of its "sailing, windsurfing and crabbing."

The sailing is particularly important to AAACCVB. The group's marketing pitch is tied to the tagline "Come Sail Away."

"This will help us capitalize on the brand," she said.

Del Signore said the group did not lobby to be selected and was not even aware Annapolis was in the running until Tuesday morning, when National Geographic called an hour before making the news public.

"We were surprised to see it, but not surprised to be on the list," she said.

Annapolis was chosen as one of the nine best waterfront towns for adventure travelers.

The issue is a guide to the best mountain, urban, waterfront and wilderness small towns in the U.S. The magazine says it spotlights the "best places to live and play."

According to Contributing Editor Dan Koeppel, Annapolis was picked because it has "an ideal mix of terrain, activity and opportunity."

"Annapolis is a place where you can live the adventure dream daily," he said.

For local employers, the ranking can be used as a recruitment tool, said Bob Burdon, president and CEO of the Annapolis & Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce.

By putting the city as a prime place for the outdoors, companies can attract highly skilled people by showing off Annapolis' quality of life, he said.

This is especially important with high-tech companies sprouting up in the area that have to compete for recruits, Burdon said.

Burdon said the endorsement from a magazine with the cachet of National Geographic gives companies that much more credibility when trying to convince an employee to move to the area.

"It's very important status-wise that it's National Geographic," he said. "Prospects expect people who live and own businesses in an area to rave about it."

Outside of recruitment, local business owners, especially in the hospitality and tourism industry, will also capitalize, Burdon said.

Most hotels and stores keep data bases with customer information. They can now add the adventure ranking to their sales pitches.

Despite the major construction on West Street near downtown and a shortage of parking around the historic district, Burdon believes the city can handle a great influx of visitors.

"The city and the visitors bureau people have done a great job getting signs up and letting people know about the public transportation system that brings people in from Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium," he said.