Indiana tourism sector grows, continues to recover
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Results of a new study released by the Indiana Destination Development Corporation show tourism continues to rebound following the COVID-19 pandemic, and officials say it’s fueling a stronger economy. The study examined 2021 data, including the number of tourism visitors to the Hoosier State, the number of overnight stays, and per visitor spending.
The study shows total Indiana visitor volume grew 16% in 2021 to 77.3 million “person-trips.” The number of people who stayed overnight for leisure travel grew by 36% compared to 2020.
The IDDC says overall visitor spending grew by 28.4% to $13 billion in 2021. Breaking it down, the study shows per visitor spending rose to $170.
“The tourism industry in Indiana has continued to develop a very strong foundation for Hoosiers,” said IDDC Secretary and CEO Elaine Bedel. “Using this research, we can get a good idea of where we are heading in the years to come, and the future looks bright for Indiana tourism.”
The study was conducted by market research and analytics firm Rockport Analytics, which has also handled previous reports for IDDC.
To illustrate the recovery, Rockport said Indiana visitor volume fell 19% in 2020, compared to 2019, as the pandemic-induced shutdown affected visitor volume. It also reported two that visitor spending in 2020, dropped more than 25%, or about $3.5 billion.
The IDDC says the industry supports nearly 180,000 full-time jobs and generates $1.4 billion in state and local taxes.
Click here to access the full report.