Why 83 Million People Chose Indiana in 2024
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana saw a huge wave of visitors last year, pushing the state’s tourism industry past pre-pandemic levels.
New data from the Indiana Destination Development Corporation shows that 83 million people traveled to the state in 2024, a nearly 2% jump from the year before. This surge was fueled by a packed calendar of events that kept Indiana in the national spotlight, including the NBA All-Star Game, a sold-out Indy 500, and three nights of Taylor Swift’s Era Tour at Lucas Oil Stadium. Even the solar eclipse brought thousands of extra eyes to the state, helping visitor spending climb to nearly $17 billion.
Indiana Governor Mike Braun credited the record-breaking year to strategic investments that are now paying off for the state’s bottom line.
“Our state’s record tourism year is great news for Hoosiers and proof of just how much there is to love about visiting Indiana,” he said. “These results show that our investments are yielding returns for our economy and showing what makes Indiana a great place to live, work, play, and stay.”
The impact of these visitors is felt far beyond stadium walls. The report, compiled by Rockport Analytics, shows that tourism now supports more than 210,000 jobs across the state. Whether people came for a concert or a convention, their spending helped generate over $3 billion in tax revenue. Beyond the big events, business travel saw a 10% rebound and international visits continued to climb.
Key findings from the 2024 report:
- 83 million total visitors (1.9% increase)
- $16.9 billion in visitor spending
- $3.2 billion in tax revenue generated, including
- Federal: $1.4 billion
- State: $1.1 billion
- Local: $740 million
- Over 210,000 jobs supported by tourism statewide
- 65 cents of every dollar spent stays in the state economy
Why 83 Million People Chose Indiana in 2024 was originally published on wibc.com
