Visitor spending in Hamilton County continues to grow, and in 2017 visitors added more than $820 million to the local economy. That’s an 11.1 percent increase from 2016 when visitors spent $738.2 million, according to the Economic Impact of Tourism study just released by Rockport Analytics.

The study, in partnership with the Indiana Office of Tourism Development, measures county-level impact on tourism and found visitor spending has grown locally every year since 2012, and exponentially in the past five years.

Hamilton County Tourism President/CEO Brenda Myers said the numbers reflect the increased opportunities, attractions and businesses in Hamilton County.

“A healthy local corporate/office base, a dynamic and growing group market, and attractions such as Grand Park, Conner Prairie and Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center among others contribute greatly to the local economy and this tremendous growth in tourism,” Myers said.

Hamilton County Tourism also invested heavily in a multi-layered marketing campaign in Chicago with TV, radio and print ads. This is in addition to social media promotions and earned media efforts locally and beyond.

The study also found visitor spending was mostly on food, beverage and retail. In addition, tourism supported 11,553 jobs including those at hotels, restaurants and attractions.

Other findings from the report include:

• Tourism generated $70 million in total federal taxes and $98.6 million in total state and local taxes; Local taxes included $26.6 million in local property taxes.

• Overall, local taxes generated by tourism positively impact $779 per household in the county on average.

• Of the $820.1 million in direct tourism spending in the market, 34 percent was spent on food and beverage; 32 percent on retail; 16 percent on recreation and entertainment; and 12 percent on lodging.

The Rockport study uses several sources of data including Longwoods International, a panel survey of 600,000 households each year, and government sources such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Indiana Office of Fiscal & Management Analysis. Private data is also provided from Smith Travel Research, the industry’s lodging sector data generator.

For more information on the study, visit here.

Hamilton County Tourism Inc. is a nonprofit, destination management organization that promotes tourism growth through strategic marketing, hospitality and development initiatives providing hospitality to more than four million visitors to Hamilton County, Indiana, each year.