Evansville touts tourism successes in 2022 but wants much more in 2023, beyond
John T. Martin, Evansville Courier & Press
5 min read
The Evansville area’s tourism industry continued its rebound from COVID in 2022, with the return of riverboat cruises and a solid performance in youth sports highlighting the year.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, though, Vanderburgh County’s leisure and hospitality sector still isn’t back to pre-pandemic levels. It trails in metrics which show a more robust nationwide recovery, said Alexis Berggren, CEO of the Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The CVB, which is branded publicly as Visit Evansville, surpassed its goal of 43,000 room nights for the year, reaching nearly 48,000 as of early December and more than $29 million in economic impact.
Local hotel room occupancy hit 60.4%, up from 48% in 2021, and the year’s average hotel daily rate was $94, up from $84.
During a presentation recently to the City Council, Berggren noted that progress as well as a desire to pick up the pace in 2023 and beyond.
"As a tourism leader in Evansville, it's going to be our job as Visit Evansville to really dig into that, see how we can make some transformational investments and move that forward," Berggren said.
Marketing will be a key piece of the strategy, Berggren said. Visit Evansville plans to roll out a new website early in the new year, while also aligning with an updated regionwide branding initiative.
The three communities bringing the most visitors to Evansville are all about away -- Jasper; Madisonville, Kentucky; and Mount Carmel, Illinois, according to information Berggren showed the City Council.
Here are five highlights of Evansville's 2022 in tourism.
Riverboats return
Visit Evansville this year sub-leased the city-owned dock at Inland Marina where the LST 325 used to be moored. That threw open the door for cruise lines to return here, bringing some new guests to city restaurants and attractions. There were six such visits in 2022, and eight are scheduled so far in 2023.
The American Heritage, a Mississippi riverboat owned by American Cruise Lines, begins its docking procedures at Marina Pointe Monday morning, Aug. 8, 2022. LST 325, now docked along the Downtown Evansville river front, once the dock home.
Riverboats have long visited Henderson, but they have bypassed Evansville in recent times due to the lack of a dock.
Berggren said Visit Evansville would like to see a riverboat permanently moored at Inland Marina, where it would be available for local residents and groups to have cruise events. Local officials have spoken with Cincinnati-based BB Riverboats about that possibility.
Softball, baseball tournaments
Berggren said a $3 million investment in artificial turf infields at Deaconess Sports Park paid dividends in 2022. The park was busy throughout the spring, summer and fall, with the new turf and drainage system preventing some tournaments from being rained out.
The fields have an added benefit, Berggren said: they allow bases to be set at different lengths, a perk as the visitors bureau tries to lure more baseball to join the numerous softball tournaments it attracts.
Visit Evansville has acquired 32 acres surrounding Deaconess Sports Park, eyeing a possible expansion of the facility.
Conventions trickle back
Most convention travel was grounded in COVID times, but a few events trickled back to Evansville in 2022 as restrictions disappeared.
Old National Events Plaza in June hosted a national convention of square dancers, who were seen around Downtown in their colorful outfits for a few days. Some state professional groups also visited.
Berggren said a regional conference of Jehovah's Witnesses will return in 2023 after three years away due to COVID. That's good news for city restaurants and hotels, who have always counted on traffic from that event.
The Indiana Society of Association executives is coming to Evansville in 2023, followed by the Indiana Tourism Association in 2024. Berggren said those events are not large, but they bring the potential to promote the area and gain future business.
“We will have an opportunity in the next two years to really highlight Evansville,” Berggren told City Council.
Old Riverhouse renovation completed
This one took awhile, but tourism officials said it was worth the wait.
After years of construction stops and starts, renovations of the former Riverhouse hotel at Walnut Street and Riverside Drive were finished, and a new Holiday Inn Express opened, bringing Downtown its third hotel -- five, if you count the two at nearby Bally's.
The property has 79 rooms.
Entertainers back
Packed concerts and other entertainment events trickled back in late 2021 as restrictions were lifted, but they were around for the entirety of 2022. Downtown Evansville saw some big names, boosting hotel and restaurant traffic.
A parade of country musicians came through Ford Center, bringing large crowds. A Morgan Wallen show in February was canceled on the day of the event due to snow and ice; Wallen returned in April. Other country starts to visit included Brad Paisley, Reba McIntire (who had canceled twice during COVID), Brooks & Dunn and Brantley Gilbert.
Rockers and hip hop acts who came through local venues included Kid Rock, Santana, Breaking Benjamin, Flo Rida and Shinedown at Ford Center. Nelly and a double-bill of Daryl Hall and Todd Rundgren played Old National Events Plaza, while Victory Theatre hosted a double-bill of Dave Mason and Marshall Tucker Band, as well as Nelly, Kansas, Don McLean and Earth, Wind & Fire.
