INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana is revamping its tourism efforts to underline the link with economic development.

Legislators created the Indiana Destination Development Corporation to improve Indiana’s marketing efforts not just to tourists, but to businesses looking to locate here. Governor Holcomb has reassigned Indiana Economic Development Corporation president Elaine Bedel to run the new agency.

 

Bedel says economic development will be central to the revamped office’s mission. When Indiana tries to recruit companies or companies recruit workers, they have to sell the idea that people would want to live here. Bedel says it’s not that people have a negative image of the state, but that they lack any image of Indiana at all.

Bedel plans to conduct a survey to pull together a comprehensive list of the state’s attractions. She says there needs to be a more coordinated effort to market those attractions. She says the idea is already discussing ideas such as reaching out to college students or creating tourism packages for convention visitors.

The old Office of Tourism Development still exists but will be part of the new agency.