Indiana launches tourism marketing campaign ‘IN Indiana’

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway had a distinct really feel at the moment than every week and a half in the past when greater than 325,000 folks gathered to look at the Indianapolis 500.

As a substitute of hoots and hollers and revving engines, a a lot smaller, native group of individuals got here collectively for the state’s information convention to announce its new “IN Indiana” tourism advertising and marketing marketing campaign at one of many state’s hottest tourism venues. 

“That is an thrilling time for the state of Indiana,” stated Elaine Bedel, the Indiana Vacation spot Growth Corp. Secretary and CEO. “This isn’t a tagline. It is a very completely different sort of promotional marketing campaign that we’d like all people to be part of.”

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The state utilized for a federal grant in August and acquired approval in April for $5.5 million to assist create the sources for the marketing campaign. The Division of Commerce is issuing the grants to states to spice up tourism following the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The IDDC and Go to Indiana have created advertising and marketing instruments and supplies and are encouraging colleges, companies, cities, and Hoosiers throughout the state to obtain and disseminate them. 

The supplies embody the principle identifier of the marketing campaign — a graphic that reads, “IN Indiana” — together with numerous headlines to pair with the IN Indiana, a few of which learn: “Discover the State Parks” and “Life is Higher.” People can even create their very own headlines.

Hoosiers should register with an electronic mail for entry to the supplies. 

“Analysis has proven that folks don’t have any notion of Indiana,” stated Amy Howell, the director of tourism, advertising and marketing and communications for the IDDC. To handle this, Howell says the state’s technique is two-fold: to extend Hoosier pleasure inside the state and to lift notion of Indiana outdoors of the state.

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Previous to the pandemic, the tourism business was a vital a part of the state’s financial system. In 2019, Indiana noticed traditionally excessive ranges of tourism, rising for the ninth consecutive 12 months. The variety of guests to the state elevated by 2.1%, totaling 82.7 million journeys, in response to a examine carried out by Rockport Analytics. Customer spending in Indiana produced a $9.6 billion gross home product increase for the financial system, a 3.5% enhance from 2018.

In 2020, the pandemic ruined the upward developments within the state’s tourism business. The variety of guests to the state decreased by 19%, with a complete of 66.7 million person-trips, as reported by Rockport Analytics. Customer spending declined by $3.5 billion, leading to an addition of $6.9 billion to the state GDP, a 28% lower from the prior 12 months. Nationally, the US Division of Commerce experiences that 56% of the decline within the nation’s GDP in 2020 was as a result of decreased journey and tourism to and inside the US.

Now, the objective is for tourism within the state to enhance yearly, with a deal with attracting folks from border states, Howell stated.

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Gov. Eric Holcomb and Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch additionally spoke on the occasion. Doug Boles, the president of the Motor Speedway, launched them. Indiana Fever President Allison Barber, Knightsville City Council President Sarah Ward and Indiana State College President Deborah J. Curtis attended. 

Holcomb spoke of quite a few Indiana points of interest — Indiana Dunes Nationwide Park, the Hoosier Gymnasium in Knightstown, Notre Dame — that many out-of-towners don’t notice are native to the state as a purpose for why the brand new marketing campaign is vital. 

“The thought that has gone into this,” Holcomb stated, “has at all times been: How will we pull collectively one Indiana, harness that synergy, all of our particular person tales that we share simply naturally once we are with each other, (to) put that on a worldwide stage?”

Contact IndyStar Pulliam Fellow Lizzie Kane at ekane@gannett.com.