How is tourism and its native financial affect shaping up for Fort Wayne in 2021?

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA21) – Is it finally time to travel to Fort Wayne as more people are being vaccinated against the coronavirus?

“The pandemic has been devastating to our local convention and tourism industries,” said Dan O’Connell of Visit Fort Wayne.

According to O’Connell, conventions and tourism grossed a record $ 800 million for the local economy in 2019.

But in 2020, he said the coronavirus pandemic canceled thousands of local events, forced two hotels and many restaurants to close permanently, and cost half a billion dollars in economic losses.

This year, he hopes a cautious rebound will bring in more than $ 560 million for the hospitality industry in Allen County and beyond.

“The US Travel Association reports that 8 out of 10 people plan to travel in the next 60 days. Vaccinations take up this pent-up travel requirement and translate it into visits. We see a record number of inquiries on our Facebook channels asking about our outdoor activities. People care, “he said.

Downtown Grand Wayne Center lost $ 1.2 million on canceled deals last year and had to top up reserves to correct that loss.

But the manager says that 25 congresses have already been booked for August through December, and he is pleased that the recovery was not a slow introduction, but more like a light switch that is flicked.

“We got to a point very quickly, luckily, very grateful, with the help of vaccinations and everything else that people are really comfortable with now, not just booking meetings but attending them,” said Bart Shaw.

O’Connell says the economic impact of tourism isn’t limited to just organized events.

“Visitors are a lot of people who have seen our promotions and advertisements and even word of mouth. They have heard a lot about how popular Fort Wayne has become because of its riverside development, festivals, restaurant scene. We are a very popular destination” , he said.

The hope is that people will continue to visit Summit City as more people are vaccinated and the coronavirus pandemic subsides.