1:Cultivate Residents

When it comes to developing our destination, residents have the most to offer as well as the most to gain by strengthening their connections to tourism. Today, residents serve as the frontline workers welcoming guests and as brand ambassadors in selling our city. From social media comments to phone calls to friends to small talk with strangers while traveling, Indy’s residents have tremendous potential to shape opinions about traveling to the city. Programs like Indy Like a Local, which offers visitors a feeling of personal connection to our local offerings by showcasing residents, can be expanded in ways that promote economic opportunity for residents, expands our portfolio of authentic offerings, and connects visitors to more, and more diverse, places, without significant capital projects. Investing in residents also promotes vibrant and inclusive neighborhood advocates necessary to sustainably build authentic destinations while also providing Visit Indy with an accessible network of community champions needed for both planning and implementation work.