Spencer County Tourism Ranks 7th in State

Thanks to wonderful visitors like all of you who read this blog, Spencer County ranks 7th in tourism spending per capita.

This week we revealed the results of a year-long study measuring the impact of the tourism industry on Spencer County's economy.

Visitors to Spencer County had a sales impact of $161.7 million and were responsible for more than 3,300 jobs during 2007, according to the study conducted by the University of Southern Indiana.

Here are some fun facts about Spencer County Visitors:

• 40 percent of visitors are under age 17. People age 25 to 44 make up 31 percent of visitors to Spencer County.

• 48 percent of visitors reside within Indiana. Large percentages also come from Kentucky, Illinois and Tennessee.

• 49 percent of visitors stayed over night

• Visitors spent an average of $237 on lodging during their trip

• Visitors spending per person amounted to: $22 on food, $51 on activities, $10 on souvenirs and $41 per trip on gasoline.

• 84 percent of visitors were very likely to come back and 45 percent of those surveyed had been to Spencer County 2 to 5 times.