The recent news of Diageo Beer Company USA's intention to build a Guinness brewery and visitor experience in Maryland, modeled on their Open Gate Brewery at St. James's Gate in Dublin, Ireland, holds tremendous promise for tourism in Baltimore County and the state if we maximize its potential. An estimated 10 million people visited breweries across the United States last year, suggesting that beer tourism is emerging as a lifestyle choice similar to the popularity of wine tourism.

In fact, a report released by the Maryland Office of Tourism earlier this month stated that tourism was up across Maryland last year in part because of beer tourism. Together new restaurants, breweries, distilleries and wineries were the main drivers of increased spending by tourists, contributing to the $17 billion tourism industry in our state.

The Guinness Open Gate Brewery at St. James's Gate attracted 1.7 million visitors last year, making it one of Ireland's top tourist destinations. Reports suggest the Guinness brewery and visitor experience in Relay, Md., could generate 250,000 to 300,000 visitors in its first full year of operation. This would make the brewery Baltimore County's largest tourist destination, with the National Park Service's Hampton Mansion coming in as the second-largest attraction with 30,000 annual visitors.

For beer tourism to truly thrive, it will take more than just an awesome attraction, however. Whether they come from down the street, outside the state or around the globe, tourism is about connecting visitors with authentic experiences, in this case experiences around beer.

I had the opportunity to spend some time in Asheville, N.C., last year and learned a great deal about the thriving beer tourism there from a friend and colleague on the Tourism Development Authority for the Asheville Conference and Visitors Bureau. There are Ale Trails, a Brew Cruise and numerous other options for touring and tasting the offerings of the dozens of breweries in the area, many of which incorporate pairings with local restaurants and other attractions.

But not every player in Asheville is a local brew. New Belgium beer recently opened their brewery experience there, seamlessly melding their product into the local brew fold. From working with local artists and contractors on the building of their site to joining forces with the local tourism entities to help promote it, the Colorado-based company now has a second home in Asheville.

New Belgium has not run any of the smaller, local breweries out of town or out of business. They have embraced their community and actively contribute to its positive "beer halo" effect, expanding the attraction options, generating tourism revenue, broadening the employment field and making Asheville a better place for residents to live, work and spend their leisure time.

The North Carolina model is one that we should be paying close attention to here in Maryland, and particularly here in Baltimore County with the arrival of the new Guinness brewery. To ensure beer tourism continues to grow and prosper in our region, we must work together. I truly believe that a rising tide raises all ships, and I encourage Guinness to work with the local brewing community, local attractions and tourism organizations to ensure maximum return on investment for everyone.

There is no doubt that the folks at Diageo Beer Company put serious consideration into their selection of their Relay site for this project. Relay is almost the exact center point of the state, it is less than two miles from I-95, less than five miles from BWI Airport, less than 10 miles from the Inner Harbor and there are at least a dozen microbreweries within a 15-mile radius.

Add to this mix an already vibrant community of beer drinkers in Maryland and a global Guinness beer heritage, and we have all the ingredients for a perfect beer tourism brew. Beer tourism is big business, and there is a tremendous opportunity for Baltimore County and the state to experience an economic measure not previously imagined.

Hal Ashman is chair of the Baltimore County Tourism and Promotion Advisory Council; his email is hal@ultimatewatersports.com.

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