Baltimore needs a "dramatic" effort to bring back visitors who will eat at its restaurants and shop its boutiques, Comptroller Peter Franchot said Friday.
Speaking before a group of business leaders assembled for the BWI Business Partnership's December breakfast, Franchot said businesses and restaurants across the city are "suffering because of the perception that the city is unsafe." He pushed back on those fears and urged people to visit small businesses in the city at least once this holiday season. After the speech, Franchot said he thinks Baltimore needs the state and the private sector "to step in and do a statewide public relations/marketing campaign" aimed at encouraging Maryland residents to shop and dine in the city. Recent market research surveying county residents found more than 30 percent of respondents reported a decrease in their trips to Baltimore.