Visit Indy Celebrates Record Year for Tourism in 2024

The NFL Combine brought in more than 27,000 people to the city of Indianapolis, part of a record 2024 that Visit Indy celebrated last week at its State of Tourism event.

More than 1,000 people attended the event at the Indiana Convention Center. Executives touted 10 million passengers coming through the Indianapolis International Airport with nine of the top 10 days for hotel rooms sold in Indianapolis set in 2024.

Along with the combine, Visit Indy hosted the men’s and women’s Big Ten Conference basketball tournaments before hosting an NCAA Regional. It also had the 109th Indianapolis 500 and the Big Ten football championship in December, plus the USA Swimming Olympic Trials at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The Bill McGowan Leadership Award was given to the Indiana Fever for their impact on driving tourism and uplifting women’s sports. The award pays homage to the former chief executive officer of the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association (known today as Visit Indy) from 1984 to 2002. Indiana Fever GM Amber Cox, Fever President Kelly Krauskopf, and Caitlin Clark accepted the award on behalf of the franchise.

Indianapolis has already hosted the WWE Royal Rumble through its new partnership with WWE. A reimagined Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum opens later this spring and the 2025 WNBA All-Star game will be at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in July.

Also during the week was a group of bills Democrats proposed in the Indiana House of Representatives that range from making the day after the Super Bowl a state holiday to requiring the Indiana Economic Development Corporation to look into attracting esports events. Tim O’Brien, R-Evansville, is a co-author of House Bill 1292 which looks to create the Northwest Indiana Professional Sports Development Commission as part of an overall “Hoosier Home Field Advantage” package.

“Indiana has long been a leader in hosting world-class sporting events,” O’Brien told WISH. “By strengthening our sports tourism industry we can drive more visitors to Indiana, boost local businesses, and showcase our state on a national and global stage. … I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation, and I look forward to making Indiana even more of a premier destination for professional sports.”