The Indiana Tourism Association announced its annual Indiana Tourism Awards during a conference March 20-22 in Elkhart.
Several organizations from Michiana earned honors, including the Elkhart County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Visit Michigan City La Porte and Visit South Bend Mishawaka.
The awards honor tourism businesses who are creative, innovative and maximize the dollars invested, according to a press release.
The following awards were presented to winners the three-day event, where more than 200 leaders in Indiana tourism turned out.
- Best Advocacy Initiative — Indiana State Festivals Association
- Best Brochure — Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari
- Best Cooperative Partnership — Elkhart County, IN CVB
- Best Culinary Focused Marketing Campaign — Indiana Foodways Alliance and Indiana Destination Development Corporation
- Best Digital Marketing Campaign — Visit Bloomington
- Best Event/Festival (marketing budgets less than $300,000) — Greencastle Music Fest
- Best Event/Festival (marketing budgets more than $300,000) — Visit Michigan City LaPorte
- Best New Experience (marketing budgets less than $300,000) — Steuben County Tourism Bureau
- Best New Experience (marketing budgets more than $300,000) — Visit South Bend Mishawaka
- Best New Merchandise — Visit Fort Wayne
- Best Overall Marketing Campaign — Indianapolis Zoo and Borshoff
- Best Specialty Item — Shelby County Tourism and Visitors Bureau
- Best Visitors Guide (marketing budgets less than $300,000$300,000) — Visit Madison Inc.
- Best Visitors Guide (marketing budgets more than $300,000) — Visit Fort Wayne
Indiana Tourism Association Member of the Year went to Luanne Mattson of SoIN Tourism.
The Indiana Tourism Association works with the Indiana Destination Development Corp. to tell Indiana's story to attract businesses and people. It advocates for investments in tourism as a driver of economic development.
