(INDIANAPOLIS) - Indiana tourism rebounded past pre-pandemic levels in 2024, delivering record visitor spending, job support, and tax revenue across the state.
According to Building Indiana Business, a report released by Governor Mike Braun shows tourism remained a major economic driver statewide last year, supporting more than 210,000 jobs and generating billions of dollars for local communities and Main Streets.
The report found that 83 million visitors traveled to Indiana in 2024, a 1.9% increase from the previous year. Visitor spending reached $16.9 billion, up 4.7%, fully recovering to pre-pandemic levels. On average, visitors spent $203 per trip, continuing an upward trend.
Tourism activity generated $3.2 billion in tax revenue, including $1.4 billion in federal taxes, $1.1 billion in state revenue, and $740 million for local governments. Business travel surged 10%, while international travel increased 4.7%. State analysts estimate 65 cents of every dollar spent by visitors remained in Indiana's economy.
Amy Howell, interim CEO of the Indiana Destination Development Corporation, said the data shows tourism growth is reaching communities across the state, with many key indicators now exceeding pre-pandemic benchmarks.
Why the data stops at 2024
Tourism impact reports typically lag by a year because they rely on finalized spending data, tax receipts, employment figures, and visitor modeling compiled by third-party analysts. Full-year data for 2025 will not be available until after the year concludes and is audited and analyzed, a process that often takes several months.
The full tourism impact study was prepared by Rockport Analytics and reflects complete economic data for calendar year 2024.