Shelby County Tourism wins state award

The Shelby County Tourism and Visitors Bureau earned an award at the Indiana Tourism Awards Tuesday in Elizabeth, Indiana.

The Indiana Tourism Awards honor tourism businesses who are creative, innovative and maximize the dollars invested. The awards banquet was part of Indiana’s annual tourism conference.

Shelby County Tourism won the Best Visitors Guide category for marketing budgets under $300,000.

The Best Visitors Guide for marketing budgets over $300,000 went to Visit Bloomington.

Other award winners were:

Best Advocacy Initiative – Gibson County Visitors & Tourism Bureau

Best Cooperative Partnership – Visit Fort Wayne

Best Culinary Focused Marketing Campaign – Snappy Tomato Pizza

Best Digital Marketing Campaign (marketing budgets under $300,000) – French Lick Resort

Best Digital Marketing Campaign (marketing budgets over $300,000) – Indiana State Fair Commission

Best Leisure Travel Marketing Campaign – Hamilton County Tourism, Inc.

Best Event/Festival – Steuben County Tourism Bureau

Best Speciality Item – Hamilton County Tourism, Inc.

Best Tourism Website (marketing budgets under $300,000) – Kosciusko County Convention and Visitors Bureau

Best Tourism Website (marketing budgets over $300,000) – Visit Indy

In addition to those awards, the Indiana Tourism Association gave out an individual award based on merit. The Member of the Year Award is designed for members of the association who stepped forward and provided exemplary service and leadership to the industry and association.

This year’s award went to Sherry Matlock and the Greater Kokomo Visitors Bureau.

The Indiana Tourism Association’s mission is advocating the value of tourism in Indiana and supporting the best practices of its members. Established in 1980, the association partners with the Indiana Office of Tourism Development, Association of Indiana Restaurant and Lodging and other statewide associations to support tourism investment and promotion as an economic contributor to the state.

For more information, visit www.IndianaTourism Association.com.