(UNDATED) – Radius Indiana has unveiled its new tourism initiative: ‘Discover Southern Indiana’. The region-wide tourism drive is the first of its kind for the area and gives an identity to the opportunities the Radius region has to offer to its visitors.
Tourists looking to visit the Radius region will soon be able to visit the ‘Discover Southern Indiana’ website, a one-stop shop for all and any resources they may need to plan a trip to the region. From luxurious accommodations to outdoor recreational adventures, the region has vacation activities for people of all ages.
Unifying the tourism initiative across the region allows community leaders and tourism businesses to cost-share practices to more effectively implement the branding because multiple counties are likely to be visited by a single visitor. The communities recognize the need to work together to invite travelers to the Radius region.
According to Rockport Analytics, tourism is one of the leading industries in the Radius region, accounting for $290.4 million in tourism spending and providing 3,930 jobs in 2017. With such a level of economic impact on the region, tourism serves as a large economic driver for jobs and quality of place initiatives.
Radius Indiana worked with Duane Knapp of BrandStrategy, Inc. to develop The Promise for Southern Indiana, the branding for this initiative. Through visitor surveys, Knapp examined how travelers compared Southern Indiana to several other regions throughout the midwest, as well as how they viewed the Radius region itself.
Radius’ Director of Tourism and Quality of Place Blaine Parker led a team of 10 committee members to create a unified tourism effort for the Radius region. The committee is made up of members of the region’s eight counties, the French Lick Resort, and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. The Tourism Strategy Team met throughout 2018 to bring the idea of a region-wide joint tourism venture to life.
Parker plans to meet with tourism businesses from the Radius counties this spring to hold teaching sessions on how to implement ‘Discover Southern Indiana’ in their marketing efforts, as well as distribute learning guides. Parker hopes to have the new logo unveiled in communities throughout the region by summer 2019.
To learn more about ‘Discover Southern Indiana’, visit www.discoversouthernindiana.com.
