Tourism with Purpose improves the human condition through the sharing of ideas, the bringing together of people for shared experiences, and the sharing of diverse stories. It is the platform for inclusive conversation and understanding upon which human advancement—social, cultural, economic—depend. It seeks to offer mutual and symbiotic value to visitors and residents alike. For the visitor, it offers an engaging, uniting, and authentically refreshing experience leading to innovations and memories that will enrich the world. For the resident, it commits that the visitor-related projects and strategies we pursue must benefit and further the priorities of our community, enhance regional quality of life, and serve the long-term needs of all residents, with special regard to affirmatively addressing social and racial inequities where we can.

Tourism with Purpose unlocks the diversity of places that make up Indy and celebrates the unique contribution they make to the Indy experience. From hikes in natural preserves to carriage rides on the brick streets of downtown, from well-known neighborhood centers to those off the beaten path, and from the pace of the rural Indiana countryside to the non-stop action of a pro-sports game, places serve as the stage upon which discussion and discovery occurs and connections and memories are made. Places facilitate both structured and chance interactions fundamental to innovation. They are expressions of the basic human need to be visible, allowing individuals and communities to express their values, histories, and aspirations, and allowing others to discover and understand them.

Tourism with Purpose builds long-term community value by bringing new resources to our region that support livelihoods for residents, sustains local businesses, provides funding for our public sector to reinvest in our community, and contributes to the overall thriving of all Central Indiana residents. Limited resources must be invested in the most impactful and efficient manner to maximize the long-term social and economic benefit of our region. Impactful investments are those that are the most responsive to community need and position our region for the greatest chance of sustainable success. Efficient investments recognize that Indy competes as a region, and we must co-create our region in a way that maximizes collaboration and community ownership, enhances the livability and distinction of each neighborhood and community, and focuses on unique, authentic places that expand and balance, not duplicate, our regional portfolio of experiences.