Last Updated on April 13, 2016 by cassnetwork
Our most current economic impact report released by the Indiana Office of Tourism Development (IOTD) documents the significant role of tourism to the Indiana economy. According to the report, in 2014 144,200 jobs and $8.1 billion in Indiana’s Gross Domestic Product has been attributed to the tourism industry.
The Cass County Visitors Bureau (CCVB) took the opportunity to invest in a county-specific report to determine the impact of tourism on a local level. Spending by Visitors to Cass County totaled $11.7 million in 2014. Visitors spent $3 million on lodging, $3.8 million on food and beverage, $3.4 million on retail, $383,000 on entertainment and recreation, and $1.1 million on transportation. The study concluded that of every tourism dollar spent in Cass County in 2014, 69 cents ‘stayed’ local and led directly to the Gross County Product for our county.
In Cass County, traveler spending supported 215 jobs and $4.6 million in total wages and proprietor income for these employees. While we saw an increase in lodging, food and beverage and retail, the recreation and entertainment category did show a loss when compared to the 2012 study.
Toni Savini, Director of the Cass County Visitors Bureau, said, “The report for Cass County shows a positive growth in visitor spending. Cass County’s growth of 2.4% is lower than the median growth in Indiana counties of 2.7%. We are pushing forward with our marketing efforts which include our new mobile app, in an attempt to drive our visitor spending.”
Tourism benefits Cass County by promoting a healthy job market, 1% of all jobs in Cass County are supported by visitors to the region. Visitor spending plays a significant role in our county’s industrial make up, as tourism is the 13th largest industry in Cass County. Local tourism helps relieve the tax burden on Cass County households which would pay an additional $104 each year in taxes to maintain current tax levels if it did not exist.
SOURCE: News release from Cass County Visitors Bureau