National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW), the annual celebration of the contributions and accomplishments of the U.S. travel industry, will spotlight resilience and hope in the face of the coronavirus pandemic with this year’s theme: the Spirit of Travel.
Celebrated annually the first full week in May, NTTW was created by Congress in 1983 to underscore the economic power of travel in the U.S. The 37th NTTW (May 3-9) arrives at an opportune moment to unite the industry, celebrate its indomitable spirit and elevate the role it will play in America’s economic recovery.
“Through every hardship, I find myself in awe of the travel industry’s ability to join together, adapt, and emerge stronger than before,” said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow. “This is our toughest challenge yet, but what I’ve seen is that the spirit of travel has not been shattered.”
The week allows for the expression of pride in Northern Indiana’s Kosciusko County and all that its communities have to offer leisure visitors, business leisure travelers, groups, and visiting friends and family. The travel industry in Kosciusko County is a powerful economic engine. The economic impact of visitors in 2017 was nearly $185 million in spending which generated $44 million in tax revenues. Research is being conducted now by the Kosciusko County Convention and Visitors Bureau to acquire economic impact data for 2019.
The State of Indiana welcomed 81 million visitors in 2019 and visitors spent a record $13.2 billion in Indiana. In addition, the tourism industry was responsible for 5% of all Indiana jobs. Tourism saved Hoosiers money by saving an average $566 in state and local taxes per household in 2019.
“There’s no doubt this has been an incredibly challenging time for many destinations. We know there will be an adjustment period in the economic impact of travel across the country. However, this week gives us an opportunity to remind visitors and residents of not only the value of the travel industry but also the incredible spirit and resiliency of it as well,” said Jill Boggs, CEO of Kosciusko County Convention and Visitors Bureau. “It is only a matter of time before we can all safely get out and get moving again and Kosciusko County has many options for memorable moments to experience in the Spirit of Travel.”
