Major segments of local tourism saw a big boost in 2017, according to leaders with the Columbus Area Visitors Center.
The tourist-related agency reported that 26,700 people — 30 percent more people than in 2016 — visited the city. Visitors came from nearly every state and 14 countries, according to the center’s statistics presented at last week’s annual meeting before about 110 people at the center’s downtown office.
Guests who stopped at the visitors center were among 2.2 million visitors to Columbus last year who spent $283 million while in the city.
The annual meeting audience included Mayor Jim Lienhoop and other city heads, and leaders from arts and architecture, chamber of commerce, schools, finance, business, and other areas.
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“We had sort of a trifecta in 2017,” said Karen Niverson, the visitors center’s executive director.
A Columbus promotional insert in Midwest Living magazine in late May, teamed with the inaugural Exhibit Columbus architectural exhibit in the fall and the release in August of the “Columbus” national movie highlighting local architecture all worked together to bring people to town, Niverson said.
“It was just an amazing mix of things,” Niverson said.
The overall draw is the strongest since the tourism executive assumed her post three years ago.
Volunteer guides conducted 823 public tours and 154 private tours for more than 12,000 attendees, according to year’s figures. That represents an increase of more than 22 percent over 2016.
Niverson reported that sports tourism continues to be strong, with 89 events attracting 170,000 people in 2017.
Board president Justin Booth mentioned that the visitors center marketed elements of the city while working alongside 27 organizations or agencies.
Part of that teamwork also included the visitors center providing a total of $260,734 to more than 40 partners during the year for efforts ranging from the annual Scottish Festival to Hope Heritage Days.
“A mission of this nature requires a lot of collaboration,” Booth said.
Resident collaboration was involved in the center’s Destination Neighborhoods Project, announced at the meeting. It gives four sections of the local area their own visual identity, with colorful banners featuring icons representing:
The downtown arts district
State Street’s industrial arts corridor
AirPark Columbus Exploration District
The Taylorsville area’s Exit 76 shopping district.
Banners were being placed downtown this week. Each features a spirited reinvention of celebrated designer Paul Rand’s dancing Cs logo first developed for the city in 1974.
“It’s exciting to see such a reinvigorated use of the dancing Cs,” said Mayor Jim Lienhoop as two of the banners were unveiled.
Each banner also features a welcome message in 14 languages, from English to German to Hindi to represent the city’s multicultural mix because of the presence of global corporations such as Cummins Inc.
Designers Rick Valicenti and Bud Rodecker of the Chicago-based Thirst led the research and design process in collaboration with Greater Good Studio, a small design firm also in Chicago.
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2.2: Visitors in millions to Bartholomew County
$12: Sports tourney economic impact in millions
$33: Lodging revenue in millions
$283: Overall visitor spending in millions
Source: Columbus Area Visitors Center
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The visitors center staff saluted Joyce Orwin, volunteer and tour program manager, who has worked at the visitors center since 1994. She will retire June 1. Lisa Westmark, already on staff at the center, will assume Orwin’s role.
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PBS will profile innovative Cummins founder. Page XX
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