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Visit Dubois County touts marketing gains and explains HB 1210 changes to tourism appointments
Summary
A Visit Dubois County representative told the council the county’s tourism marketing partnerships produced 176 million impressions and 3.1 million sessions; Innkeeper’s Tax revenue rose 4.9% in 2025. The speaker outlined appointment changes under House Bill 1210 and said local party-affiliation language remains in the ordinance.
At a Dubois County Council meeting, a Visit Dubois County representative presented the destination management organization’s recent marketing results and explained impending changes to tourism commission appointments under House Bill 1210.
The presenter said partnerships with Indiana Destination Development and Discover Southern Indiana produced roughly 176 million impressions and 3.1 million sessions to the county’s listings, and reported a cost-per-result of about $0.79 in that campaign. “We are a DMO…The purpose of Visit Dubois County tourism efforts and projects are to increase visitor spend, bringing an economic boost to our communities from outside dollars,” the representative said.
The presentation reviewed awards and local assets cited as drivers for visitation, and listed Tourism Capital Improvement Fund disbursements the presenter said were previously awarded: $50,000 to the Ferdinand Christmas Pyramid, $20,000 to the Aster Dude Green Room, $20,000 to the Regional Wellness Center and $10,000 to the Dubois County Museum.
The presenter also summarized Innkeeper’s Tax collections, saying the county recorded a 4.9% increase in 2025 and that January–April figures stood at about 3.8% year-to-date. The hotelier STR report, the presenter said, showed increases in room nights but a lower average daily rate, which affects revenue calculations.
On governance, the presenter described House Bill 1210 (effective July 1) as changing the distribution of appointments on the Dubois County Tourism Commission: the county commissioners will have two appointments (down from three), the county council will have one appointment, Jasper must have three appointments based on population, and Huntingburg will have one appointment. The presenter said Mayor Neil Elkins indicated he wishes to appoint Rachel Steckler as the Huntingburg representative. The presenter said they recommended removing political-party affiliation language from the local ordinance but that the council opted to keep that requirement, creating a party-balance issue staff and the county attorney are reviewing.
Why it matters: council members said tourism investments support local businesses and room-night tax receipts that fund county services. The presenter urged continued partnership marketing and monitoring of appointment changes required by state law.
