Tourist destination Amish Acres set to close at year’s end
The northern Indiana tourist site is set to close at the end of the year after 50 years in business, according to an economic development official in Nappanee.
Tourism & Hospitality
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Federal investigators: Coast Guard ignored duck boat safety proposals
The National Transportation Safety Board criticized the U.S. Coast Guard on Wednesday for ignoring suggestions they say might have prevented last year’s Missouri accident that killed 17 people, including nine members of an Indiana family.
Convention industry swells, but future hinges on Pan Am development
Visit Indy, which isn’t involved in the Pan Am negotiations, is in “somewhat of a holding pattern until we have the exact details finalized and presented to us,” Vice President Chris Gahl said.
Light, video show on Circle to pay patriotic tribute nightly
The curtain is set to be raised on a nightly five-minute patriotic light and sound presentation that local officials say will cast Monument Circle in a whole new hue and could draw tens of thousands of people annually to the iconic landmark.
IEDC president to lead state’s new tourism agency
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.
Indianapolis to host final event of global food sport competition
The 2020 World Food Championships Final Table event is the culmination of annual competition involving more than 1,500 home cooks, chefs and professional cooking teams from more than 40 states and 15 countries. The World Food Champion will be crowned at the event.
Startup aims to provide digital ‘Green Book’ for minority travelers
LaToya Johnson launched AwayZone, which she describes as a kind of digital Green Book, in Indianapolis in late 2017. She already has commitments from dozens of corporations to pay for monthly subscriptions to be a part of the app and has a plan to boost revenue to $4.1 million by 2022.
White Lodging founder gives $16M boost to Catholic schools
The Bruce and Beth White Family Foundation’s gift is expected to bring operational and academic support directly to 10 elementary and high schools in the Diocese of Gary, benefiting about 3,300 students.
With 17 hotels in downtown pipeline, experts doubt they’ll all make it
If all of the plans move forward, downtown would see an unprecedented deluge of new rooms. But developers and lenders are fretting over whether the market can support them.
Indianapolis Zoo gets $4M grant to establish global center for species survival
Plans call for the Global Center for Species Survival to employ a team of nine experts who will be based in Indianapolis and work with more than 9,000 wildlife experts worldwide to save threatened species.
Brown County distillery complex had 267,000 visitors in first year
One of Brown County’s newest tourist draws is also perhaps its most unusual. And it’s an integral part of the fast-growing family of local culinary/adult-beverage brands including Big Woods, Quaff ON and Hard Truth Distillery.
Plans for downtown dual-brand hotel approved by IHPC
A 206-room, dual-branded hotel planned for a downtown parking lot won approval Wednesday night from the Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission.
Indianapolis Zoo secures 28 acres of land for expansion
The parcels, which are south of West Washington Street and east of South Harding Street, are expected to be turned into permanent parking lots and additional zoo exhibits in the coming years.
Downtown restaurants too good to miss (and just happen to be located in hotels)
When a flight delay caused a late check in or a business meeting ran overtime, the on-site eatery at your hotel was the meal of last resort—and was nearly always approached with low expectations. That may still be the case in some areas, but it certainly isn’t in downtown Indianapolis.
The next exhibit at the Children’s Museum is always the CEO’s favorite
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis CEO Jeffrey Patchen answers IBJ’s questions about the museum’s growth and what’s ahead.
Convention center planning much-needed Wi-Fi upgrade in 2020
The past-its-prime Wi-Fi system at the Indiana Convention Center could get a big boost in 2020, as its owner looks to make $5.7 million in enhancements to the venue.
Local developer plans to take up Cambria flag with proposed downtown hotel
A 148-room Cambria hotel is planned for South Meridian Street, less than one year after a local developer scrapped plans for a hotel near the same location with the same brand.
Visitors flock to Indiana Dunes, now with national park bona fides
The national park designation has revealed itself in various ways—through an upsurge in logged visits, busier trails and the need to order extra custodial supplies.
Travel plans in chaos, jobs lost as global tour company collapses
About 600,000 people were traveling with the company as of Sunday, though it was unclear how many of them would be left stranded. An estimated 1 million future travelers also found their upcoming holiday bookings canceled.
New 104-room hotel planned for Old Southside neighborhood
A local investment group plans to spend $9 million to $10 million to construct the four-story hotel at 324 Wilkins St. If approved, the development would bring a new, fast-growing midscale hotel brand to Indianapolis.