Radius Reports Increase in Tourism
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowBedford-based Radius Indiana says visitor spending in the eight-county region saw an increase in 2016 compared to the previous year. A study by Pennsylvania-based Rockport Analytics says visitor spending totaled more than $283 million and generated more than $206 million in economic impact in southwest central Indiana.
The Radius Indiana region includes Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Orange and Washington counties. The study, commissioned by Radius and the Indiana Office of Tourism Development, says the region’s tourism employment grew more than 5 percent in 2016, making it the seventh largest industry in the region.
"Tourism creates a broad variety of jobs in our region. Success in this industry is important to the people who live in our region and we believe it’s important that they directly see the benefits," said Jeff Quyle, chief executive officer of Radius Indiana. "It helps to relieve the tax burden of households in the region as well as benefit over 3,700 public school students."
Quyle says, according to the study, 73 cents of every dollar spent on tourism stayed in the local economy, saving taxpayers about $375 annually in taxes.
In August, the organization released its first Radius Tourism Index, which showed the southwest central Indiana region was outpacing the rest of the state in the tourism industry.
You can view the full study from Rockport Analytics below: