State lawmakers passed legislation during the 2019 session that allowed the Indiana Office of Tourism Development, which is under Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and funded by the state budget, to become a quasi-governmental corporation as of July 1, 2020.
Several lawmakers, lobbyists and state officials are pushing for sweeping changes to the state’s tourism bureau.
The department says its ambition is for the state to become “a leading regional destination” and to increase traveler spending.
The Indiana Office of Tourism Development was awarded Best Public Relations Campaign for the Indiana Bicentennial Torch Relay at the U.S. Travel Association’s 2017 Mercury Awards ceremony last month in Minneapolis.
The Honest to Goodness Indiana tourism slogan might be jettisoned, made awkward by fallout from the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
New director changes organization’s name, launches initiatives catering to businesses.
The state tourism department’s new tag line, “Honest to Goodness Indiana,” is so folksy that some wonder whether there’s a disconnect between what it says about the state and how the city of Indianapolis is trying to distinguish itself.
The new tourism slogan, which replaces “Restart your engines,” is the hook for a widescale state rebranding campaign.
The industry maintains nearly 140,000 jobs and contributes $10 billion in revenue to Indiana businesses, according to a new report.
As Indiana slashed its tourism budget, Michigan increased its widespread Pure Michigan ad campaign from $17 million to $27.4 million. Illinois, where budget problems have earned the state the nation’s worst credit rating—A3 by Moody’s Investors Service—spends more than twice as much as Michigan.
Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman says the $400,000 initiative will help draw visitors and have a "lasting impact" on Indiana's towns and cities.
In light of a shrinking budget, the state has dropped traditional advertising campaigns to promote tourism and is embracing
social media outlets to promote Indiana's attractions.
Destinations throughout Indiana no longer can count on a state marketing campaign to help drive summer crowds. Lawmakers who
passed a budget during the special session at the end of June sliced the state’s annual contribution
to the Indiana Office of Tourism Management in half—from $4.8 million to $2.4 million.
If Indiana is to be marketed as a region, government will be the one to do it.
