2024 Year in Review: Big tourism year draws hundreds of thousands to area

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(IBJ photo/Mickey Shuey)

Hundreds of thousands of visitors flocked downtown this year for what local tourism officials contend is the best post-pandemic showing for the city’s tourism industry.

In addition to its slate of annual conventions like National FFA, FDIC International, Gen Con and the Performance Racing Industry—which each bring in 30,000 or more people—the city played host to numerous one-time events, including the 2024 NBA All-Star weekend, the three-night Taylor Swift The Eras Tour stop, and the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials.

Indianapolis also hosted the National Eucharistic Congress, a meeting of Catholics that hasn’t happened in the United States in more than 80 years, and was among just a handful of major cities on the path of totality for April’s eclipse.

Here are some of the biggest events:

NBA All-Star Weekend, Feb. 14-18: In the city’s first go at hosting the NBA’s midseason extravaganza in 39 years, Indianapolis saw a boost to its economy of more than $400 million, according to a league-commissioned study. More than 81,000 people from 44 states and 55 countries attended All-Star events, which took place at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Lucas Oil Stadium and the Indiana Convention Center. More than half of the events’ attendees came from outside central Indiana.

College basketball and swimming, March and April: The Natatorium at Indiana University Indianapolis played host to the Division I men’s swimming and diving championships in late March, drawing thousands of fans from across the country. Additionally, Indiana Farmers Coliseum hosted the Horizon League men’s and women’s basketball championships, Gainbridge Fieldhouse hosted the first and second rounds of the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament, and Hinkle Fieldhouse hosted both the Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament and men’s National Invitational Tournament semifinals and finals.

U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials, June 15-23: Lucas Oil Stadium became the first NFL venue to host a swim meet this summer when it welcomed USA Swimming for its trials ahead of the Olympics in Paris. The event drew more than 285,000 spectators over eight nights, an increase of 60% over the previous record. The event broke its own record for single-day attendance twice during the event, with nearly 21,000 fans attending the opening night and more than 22,000 attending on June 22.

National Eucharistic Congress, July 17-21: More than 60,000 Catholics from across the United States made the journey to Indianapolis for a week of church services, speakers, presentation sessions, religious sacraments and exhibits. The event—the first of its kind since 1946—is meant to help Catholics develop a deeper appreciation of their faith and open doors for non-Catholics to better understand those beliefs.

Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour, Nov. 1-3: More than 207,000 people attended Lucas Oil Stadium shows in Swift’s final U.S. stop for her 18-month-long tour. Swift announced record crowds exceeding 69,000 for the venue on each night, surpassing the previous record of 55,000. The city planned numerous Swift-themed events throughout downtown, sponsored activities for fans arriving at Indianapolis International Airport and installed a 330-foot-tall image of Swift on the front of the JW Marriott hotel.•

Check out more year-in-review stories from 2024.

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