Downtown Baltimore sees growth in visitors while crime rates drop

Baltimore’s downtown area is getting more popular with visitors, while crime is going down. A recent report shows the city had 28. 5 million visitors last year, spending over $4. 3 billion—that’s a 7. 5% increase from the year before. Big events like the CIAA tournaments have brought nearly $110 million to the city since 2022. More people are choosing to live downtown, too, though the population shrank slightly from over 41, 500 to just under 41, 000 in the past year.While crime is improving, with homicides dropping nearly half and thefts going down, not everything is perfect. Some businesses are struggling—hotel stays dropped by about 3%, and office spaces aren’t filling up as much as before. Still, leaders are pushing forward with big plans to make downtown better. A new 10-year master plan promises major changes, including updates to Harborplace and new projects at the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus. Mayor Brandon Scott highlighted a new tax break program to encourage business growth. The idea is simple: if companies invest in downtown projects, they can pay less in taxes. But even with all these efforts, challenges remain. The report shows some areas need more attention—like making sure businesses and hotels stay strong while crime keeps dropping.