WABASH,Indiana — Visit Wabash County, in partnership with Economic Development Group of Wabash County, has received the results from the Tourism Economic Impact Analysis for Wabash County.
“Studies such as these are an effective way for tourism industry partners to evaluate the value and impact of our efforts toward driving tourism dollars to our county and region,” stated Christine Flohr, executive director of tourism for Visit Wabash County. “This is essentially our report card, if you will; a snapshot reflecting the relevancy and importance of the tourism industry to Wabash County.”
The study was conducted by Rockport Analytics via a co-op program organized by the Indiana Office of Tourism Development. Wabash County was among 17 other counties to utilize the program. The study, which began in 2015, used data collected from the complete 2014 calendar year.
“We’ve known anecdotally for quite some time that tourism was a large economic driver in Wabash County,” said Keith Gillenwater, president and CEO of the Economic Development Group of Wabash County. “We were happy to partner with Visit Wabash County and the state of Indiana to measure this important industry and confirm what we’ve known all along – tourism has a huge and growing impact on our community.”
The economic importance of tourists to a community extends well beyond core hospitality and transportation sectors. Tourism Economics offers a solution to the efforts of destination marketing organizations such as Visit Wabash County and to industry associations that marries rigorous methodology and compelling communication to raise the profile of tourism as an economic engine.
The report concluded the following 2014 Wabash County Tourism Highlights:
• Spending by Visitors to Wabash County totaled $43.1 million in 2014, up 2.9% over 2013.
• Visitors spent $3.7 million on lodging, $11.9 million on food & beverages, $12.5 million on shopping, $5 million on entertainment and recreation, and $10 million on transportation.
• Of every tourism dollar spend in Wabash County in 2014, 68 cents ‘stayed’ local and led directly to the gross county product of Wabash County.
• Visitor Spending in Wabash County supported 970 jobs and $16.5 million in labor income.
• Traveler spending supported 970 jobs in Wabash County in 2014. Of these, 864 were directly employed by tourism sectors. Tourism generated an additional 47 indirect jobs and 59 induced jobs.
• $16.5 million in total wages and proprietor income were generated for these employees.
• In addition to hotel occupancy levies, Wabash County Tourism activity generated over $70,000 in Indiana corporate taxes, $333,000 in Indiana personal income tax and nearly $1.9 million in local property taxes during 2014.
• Federal tax collections resulting from tourism in Wabash County totaled $3.9 million including corporate & personal income taxes, excise taxes and social security collections.
• State and local tourism-derived taxes totaled $5 million, including $2.2 million in sales taxes contributing to state tax collections and $1.9 million in property taxes to support the local tax base.
• If Wabash County tourism did not exist, each of the 12,777 households in the county would have to pay an additional $396 per year in taxes to maintain current state & local tax levels.
“The study revealed that tourism is the 5th largest industry in Wabash County (by jobs),” shared Flohr. “It is important for key decision-makers and residents to understand the significant impact that tourism has and how it directly affects each of us in such a positive way.”