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Elkhart County CVB highlights quilt gardens and $560 million in visitor spending
Summary
The Elkhart County Convention and Visitors Bureau briefed the Elkhart City Council on tourism impacts, the volunteer-run quilt gardens that open late May, and visitor spending from a 2023 study.
John Hunsberger, executive director of the Elkhart County Convention and Visitors Bureau, told the Elkhart City Council that visitors spent more than $560,000,000 in Elkhart County in 2023 and supported thousands of tourism jobs.
Hunsberger said the county’s quilt gardens — 16 across Elkhart County, including three in Elkhart — will be planted starting May 30 and remain open through about Sept. 15 “as long as the blooms last.” He said the quilt garden project is volunteer driven and in its 17th year.
The CVB director stressed tourism’s local economic impact: more than $200,000,000 in tax revenue statewide tied to visitor spending and roughly $38,000,000 in spending locally within Elkhart County. He listed local visitor attractions such as the Lerner Theatre, the Aquatic Center, the Midwest Museum of Art, the New York Central Railroad Museum and downtown restaurants and hotels.
Hunsberger closed by quoting a tourism leader: building a place people want to visit helps build a place where people want to live and work, which in turn attracts businesses and more visitors.
The presentation was informational; no council action was taken on the items Hunsberger discussed.
