Tourism advocate spreads message of hope

HAMMOND | Today's economic challenges won't stop tourism and the influx of travel dollars, a hospitality expert said at an annual tourism luncheon.

Nearly 200 guests, mostly elected officials and business leaders from Northwest Indiana, gathered Wednesday for the lunch at the Indiana Welcome Center. It was hosted by the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority.

The meeting stressed the value of visitors, highlighting the effect of travelers on the local economy.

Keynote speaker Roger Rickard, hailed as an expert on business travel with Destination Marketing Association International, said despite increasing fuel costs, "people are continuing to travel and stay on the move," a sign of "hope for continued travel growth and outreach."

Rickard also said today's important travel dollars are not only from vacationers but also business travelers.

"The latest numbers show that for every dollar invested in business travel, there's a $12.50 return back to the company for profit, with $3.80 of that amount coming in as new profit on top of the original invested amount," Rickard said.

Rickard said consumers continue to "value the human connection of travel," despite today's increased technology offering the more "virtual experience and communication."

He said the industry's top goals are meeting the needs of an ever-changing marketplace and demand for new products, urging further collaboration and balancing efforts for a more diverse and complex audience.

Speros Batistatos, president and CEO of South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority, on Wednesday recognized the many leaders of organizations in the region who encourage their groups to host functions to help highlight what Northwest Indiana has to offer.

Describing those advocates as "bring it home heroes," he defined how each has contributed to hospitality efforts by hosting conventions ranging from sports tournaments to quilt shows.

"Everyone in this room belongs to a group or has an affiliation, and it's all of our responsibilities to encourage organizations to host annual events right here to showcase our communities and businesses," Batistatos said.

"We all have important roles in our communities, and tourism allows us to share everything we have to offer around us."

Wednesday's annual luncheon was part of National Travel and Tourism Week.