Tourism Industry News

Hello Industry Leaders,

April is in the rearview mirror, but it was filled with planning, strategy meetings and of course, traveling.

The General Assembly has come to a close and House Bill 1115 passed unanimously. That means the Indiana Office of  Tourism Development will become the Indiana Destination Development Corporation on July 1, 2020. You can read the new law here. Rep Mike Karickhoff, who authored the legislation, will take part in a panel at the Indiana Restaurant and Lodging Association (INRLA) annual meeting, along with Tracy Barnes, Lt. Governor’s Chief of Staff; Matt Carter, a tourism task force member and myself. 

This summer we will be looking for your input about the tourism industry. We will be conducting listening sessions across the state. More information to come.

Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of attending NCSTD, the National Council of State Tourism Directors in Washington D.C. It was a great time to review programs and services, discuss strategy and connect on critical policy issues.

May is shaping up to be another busy month. #HoosIN for Visit Indiana Week? Visit Indiana Week is May 5-11. Thanks to our partners at the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), there will be free admission to all state parks on May 5 and to all 300+ who are participating. We could not do this without you. There are currently eight blog posts on VisitIndiana.com, featuring all the participants, which are being linked to in posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and they are also being featured in both of our consumer emails. IOTD plans to send out nine press releases and we’ve created a social media toolkit to help you promote the week.

Other items on our calendar for May include: Noelle is attending the National Association of Sports Commissions (NASC) conference in Knoxville. Amy will be attending the Midwest Travel Journalist Association (MTJA) Conference and Media Marketplace in Pigeon Forge. Several members of the staff will be attending the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) Regional Conferences around the state. I will be attending the Lewis & Clark Trail dedication and Indiana Military Museum dedication, along with Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch.

We look forward to all these events and assisting you with whatever we can do to help in your tourism efforts.

All the Best,

Misty Weisensteiner