Southwest adding nonstop Florida flights to Miami, Panama City Beach
The news of the new flights comes as the airline industry sees a rebound in passenger traffic from the pandemic, which decimated air travel last year.
Tourism & Hospitality
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$28.6B federal relief program for restaurants launches this week
The Restaurant Revitalization Fund will provide up to $10 million per recipient to qualifying restaurants, bars, food trucks, caterers, and other eligible recipients based on their pandemic-related revenue losses.
Wing of inn at popular Indiana park reopens after renovation
The 54-room east wing of Abe Martin Lodge recently reopened to visitors following the $4.5 million project by the Indiana Department of Administration and Indiana State Parks.
$16 billion grant program for performance venues set to reopen for applications
The federal grant program, part of a larger pandemic relief effort, officially launched April 8, but its application portal crashed within hours because of technical problems. The portal is set to reopen Saturday.
NFL exploring changes to scouting combine, source says
The source, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the conversations are ongoing, said the league is evaluating all aspects of the combine, including the player experience.
Indiana announces $30 million grant program for hotels, entertainment venues
The Indiana Hospitality & Entertainment Grant program is intended to help those businesses “largely excluded from other government assistance programs,” the state said.
Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site plans $6M in updates for grounds, interior, programming
Plans for the two-acre site, where the 23rd president lived before and after his time at the White House, include the addition of a new commons area and portico with a drop-off site for buses, as well as a promenade and a pathway connecting Pennsylvania and Delaware streets.
Dinosaur drive-thru show planned for Indiana State Fairgrounds
The dinosaur show is among the largest public events to be scheduled at the fairgrounds since the pandemic began
Regions Tower nixed as downtown fireworks launch site after 50 years
Emmis Communications Inc., which has produced the July 4 fireworks show for more than a decade, said it was handing off responsibility for the annual event to civic organization Downtown Indy Inc.
Parties keep amphitheater naming-rights deal details close to vest
Teachers Credit Union has signed on as the naming-rights partner for the newly renovated concert venue at White River State Park, but those involved in the deal aren’t sharing details about the contract.
Work on five-story downtown mural for Indy cycling legend to start next month
A mural honoring Indianapolis native Marshall “Major” Taylor, the first Black world champion cyclist, will begin going up in mid-May on a downtown building a block from Monument Circle, the Arts Council of Indianapolis said Monday.
White River could become a national-park-like amenity
Improving a 58-mile stretch of the White River and taking advantage of the natural resource that flows through the Indianapolis area has been on local leaders’ wish list for years.
Indy hopes to capitalize on tournament successes
Throughout March Madness, tourism and sports leaders entertained dozens of prospective clients, pitching the city as a safe place for those groups to host their own big events.
St. Elmo plans fundraiser honoring employee who died after COVID diagnosis
Craig Huse of Huse Culinary, which operates St. Elmo, issued a statement on social media Wednesday night in which he said the restaurant was “mourning the loss of a longtime, valued employee and genuinely great person, who had a huge heart and a glowing smile.”
Zionsville Chamber aims to position town as boutique bridal destination
The Zionsville Chamber of Commerce is hosting its first “Get Married in Zionsville” bridal show, featuring more than 40 local florists, musicians, bakeries and other vendors on April 17.
NCAA might consider single site for part of future tourneys
NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball Dan Gavitt said the successful tournament held primarily in Indianapolis and exclusively in Indiana could create a late-round model for future tourneys.
Watch ‘The Rebound: Indy’s bounce back,’ a mini-documentary about the pandemic and the city’s hospitality industry
IBJ reporter Mickey Shuey, who has been covering the Indianapolis hospitality industry from the start of the pandemic the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, interviewed dozens of people in an effort to piece together how the city is working to emerge from the pandemic.
NCAA: Just 15 positive COVID-19 tests out of 28,000-plus taken during tourney
Officials on Tuesday also released attendance figures for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament’s 66 games—all played in Indiana.
Jim Dora: Tournament success brings hope for robust recovery
We hoteliers welcome the business that the NCAA has brought but worry about what the future holds. To use a metaphor many people are experiencing these days, the tournament was a shot in the arm, but does not inoculate us against continued losses.
Sherry Seiwert: Downtown’s psyche is renewed
With the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, we were able to show that Downtown Indianapolis is just as vibrant as ever. Now, don’t retreat back inside as basketball fans leave our fair city.