Kent County has the potential to be an epicenter for the arts drawing visitors from all over the Mid-Atlantic.  A county that has live music, galleries, festivals, and vibrant cultural programming is a county that not only believes in the arts for its social benefits but is also focused on growing its economy in an environmentally friendly way. Cultural vibrancy attracts the kind of residents and businesses that grow our tax base and reduces the burden on everyone. The arts aren’t a frill — they’re a pillar of our economic growth. One only has to look at Easton, MD, Savannah, GA , Beaufort, SC and Ashville, NC to name just a few examples to see the economic impact of cultural tourism. To foster high end tourism I would suggest the following:

• Streamline permitting significant festivals, outdoor concerts, and cultural events so that organizers spend less time dealing with red tape and more time executing on the events that will grow our economy and improve the quality of life for our citizens.
• Partner with Washington College and existing local arts organizations to expand youth arts programming and develop a creative pipeline that keeps young talent rooted here

• Promote Kent County’s creative economy through national tourism marketing, leveraging our arts scene as a distinctive draw on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

• Advertising in high end publications like Garden and Gun and Town & Country where our competitors such as Easton, Charleston, SC, and Savanah, GA promote themselves regularly would put us on the map and entice visitors to savor the charms of Kent County. Every 1% increase in visitor spending in the county yields approximately $400–600K in incremental economic activity.