Visit Indy Touts Record Numbers

With the Super Bowl as the catalyst, tourism in Indianapolis is at an all-time high.

Visit Indy released its annual report, Wednesday, on figures from 2012.

It indicates tourism generated nearly $4.5 billion in economic impact across Central Indiana.

Chris Gahl with Visit Indy says hosting the NFL’s biggest game was a driving force in the record figures.

"We know specific to that $4.4 billion, the Super Bowl in itself generated $337 million.  That's a big chunk. That's a healthy chunk. So, certainly we saw that benefit in that bump," said Gahl.  "On top of that, additional sports tourism and again, this burgeoning, bigger facilities, mainly the Convention Center, have helped propel us to these record setting numbers."

The organization unveiled a tourism master plan leading up to 2020.  Gahl says it’s to build on the recent momentum.

"Through examining questions like 'do we need to expand the Convention Center again?  How many more hotels do we need? Do we need new types of museums and restaurants and attractions? And, how do we continue to activate public space and green space?' That's what we will be looking at and really putting into place, so that this road map - this master tourism plan - helps us as a community specific to tourism," he said  

He adds 26 million visitors came to Indianapolis in 2012, and tourism is responsible for 74,000 jobs in the region.