INDIANAPOLIS (Network Indiana) — If you’ve made a recent trip to a restaurant, winery, zoo, or amusement park in Indiana, you’re doing your part in helping the state’s tourism industry recover from the pandemic.
COVID hurt just about every industry, but especially travel and leisure, says Indiana Destination Development Corporation CEO Elaine Bedel.
“We looked at our index and went back to 2017 and called that ‘normal’ so that was 100 percent. After the pandemic hit, in May 2020, we went all the way down to 55,” Bedel told Inside Indiana Business. “So we lost 45 percent of the activities in the travel and leisure and hospitality area. But in May 2021, we’re back to 79 (percent).”
She says in a normal year, the leisure and hospitality industry usually generates $37 billion a year in Indiana, about ten percent of the state’s GDP.
Bedel adds that tourism is even more important for the smaller towns and rural communities.
“It’s the restaurants, it’s the activities, it’s all those things that are out there that really depend on Hoosiers traveling, as well as others from other states that are coming in to visit.”
For ideas on where to go for a fun weekend trip or a weeklong vacation, go to VisitIndiana.com.
