May 03--Anne Arundel County, including Annapolis, led the state in tourism dollars in 2011, according to a report by the travel research company Tourism Economics, the local visitors bureau said this week.

The Annapolis & Anne Arundel County Conference and Visitors Bureau said that according to the report, nearly 5.6 million visitors to Annapolis and the county spent nearly $3.2 billion, a 7.2 percent increase over the $3 billion generated in 2010. The sum represents transportation, food, hotel and other spending.

That amount accounts for 22.2 percent of Maryland's tourism industry sales, the visitors bureau said in its prepared statement.

Between noon and 2 p.m. Thursday, ice cream compliments of the Annapolis Ice Cream Co. will be given to people who stop at the visitors center, the news release said. From Saturday through May 12, National Travel and Tourism Week, the visitors center will randomly give coupons and stickers to 100 people who stop by; the items can be redeemed for an ice cream cone at the Annapolis Ice Cream Co. The visitors bureau is located at 26 West St. in Annapolis.

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