Columbus Area Visitors Center tours already show signs of making a comeback after taking 80 percent dip in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Miller House and Gardens tour, among the most popular, was closed for nearly five months last year.
And hotel lodging in Bartholomew County dipped 42 percent last year over a record 2019, constituting a loss of $14.5 million.
Those are some of the numbers that especially stand out in the visitors center’s just-released annual report. Such stats normally are highlighted during an annual meeting. But both last year’s gathering and this year’s were canceled because of the novel coronavirus.
Karen Niverson, the center’s executive director, said there are some signs of optimism in the local hotel industry.
"Weekend business is picking up for our lodging properties," Niverson said. "But weekday corporate business is still very soft and will likely take some time to return."
The tours and lodging numbers are significant since visitor spending in a healthy year means nearly $300 million pumped into the local economy, with most of that from food purchases and shopping, according to the visitors center’s past figures.
So far this spring, 28 group tours have been booked, which Niverson said is great news.
"So it’s definitely not gloom and doom," she said. "We are feeling very positive that we will see significant progress on the recovery of our tour program this year."
Because of continuing safe-distancing guidelines, tours still currently are limited to a 50 percent capacity but are "selling very well," Niverson said.
In other 2020 recaps, youth sports and golf recorded strong years, according to the report. Bartholomew County hosted 61 tournaments hosting 116,000 sports visitors. And Otter Creek Golf Course rounds increased by 20 percent over 2019.
With considerably less travel nationwide last year, other numbers were down significantly. For instance, more than 24,000 guests visited the visitors center in 2019. Last year, that number dipped to 7,000.
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Whether you’re looking to tour the Miller House and Gardens or the upstairs of Zaharakos, the Columbus Area Visitors Center can get you set.
But for now, the only architecture tour that’s running is the walking tour.
Especially with guest limitation numbers still in place, tours sell out regularly, so reservations are recommended.
Information: columbus.in.us/tour-options/
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