BOONE COUNTY — Tourism is rebounding in Indiana after the dramatic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and local business owners say the recovery is spilling into surrounding "donut" counties and helping small businesses recover.
According to numbers released by the state in 2024, the state of Indiana saw over three billion dollars in tax revenue generated. That comes from the 83 million visitors who traveled to Indiana in 2024, a 1.9% increase from the previous year, and that didn't impact only the city. Boone County says that momentum has continued into 2025.
WATCH FULL STORY BELOW
"We have seen a lot of visitors spending with over $100,000 a day being spent in Boone County by visitors as well as over 70% occupancy on the year for our hotels,” Allyson Gutwein, CEO of Discover Boone County, said.
Those visits to the Hoosier State are positively impacting small businesses in Boone County, with sales numbers rising and recovery continuing since the pandemic.
"We are up here at Fivethirty Home 35% from 2019, and we are up 10% from last year,” Erica Carpenter, owner of Fivethirty Home, said. “So I think what people find here at our store and in our downtown area in Zionsville is that customers experience that you don't get from shopping online."
Restaurants and catering businesses are seeing a boost as well, and local owners have suggestions for how the state can keep the momentum going while it works to attract more large events.
"If they really want to have a major economic impact in the state on small businesses, say bring your big event here, and for every dollar that you spend locally or for everything you do, create some sort of incentive to use local vendors,” Jeremy Brown, CEO of Nameless Catering, said.
While 2025 tourism numbers are still being compiled, Boone County leaders are preparing for continued change, including projects such as the LEAP District intended to capitalize on future visitors. Right now, the county sees a lot of recreational tourism, but they expect more business tourism to come into the coming years.
"We are working to welcome the next wave of people who will be coming in to the county by changing signage putting things out in different languages so that whomever comes is ready to welcomed by our community and our businesses. "
To the read the full tourism report click here.
