Radius Touts Tourism Strength

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Radius Indiana says its eight-county region is outpacing others in the tourism industry. The organization’s first Radius Tourism Index gives southwest central Indiana a score of 61.3, compared to a statewide score of 38.1. Radius says the index is based on indicators including tourism jobs, wages and spending.

The organization used data from a previously-published report from Rockport Analytics, along with other economic factors to establish a baseline for the region’s tourism industry. That report, released in March, suggests visitor spending totaled more than $270 million in 2015, generating nearly $200 million in economic impact. Radius says its score was bolstered by a 13 percent year-over-year increase in tourism spending, as well as improvements in other key indicators.

Tourism is the seventh-largest industry in the region, accounting for nearly 5,000 jobs in Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Orange and Washington counties.

Radius says it developed RTI along with two other measurements to help it analyze the region’s economic strengths and challenges. The others focus on manufacturing and small business.