By Brandi Watters, Herald Bulletin Staff Writer
brandi.watters@heraldbulletin.com
ANDERSON - The slot machines in Las Vegas didn't cash in quite like they used to and the shores of Hawaii felt the ripple effect of the fledgling American economy.
When the economy took a nose-dive in 2008, tourism across the country seemed to follow, seeing steep declines as Americans pinched pennies.
But while the rest of America's tourist destinations seemed to take a hit, Anderson and Madison County saw a sharp increase in tourism dollars.
Between 2007 and 2008, the county saw an additional $61 million in total tourism dollars.
Largely attributed to the June 2008 opening of the Hoosier Park casino, Madison County saw $236 million in tourism dollars overall.
A July 2009 study ordered by the Anderson/Madison County Visitors and Convention Bureau outlined the change in local tourism from 2007 to 2008, finding that Hoosier Park's new casino brought a surge in local tourism.
The report, compiled by Certec Inc. of Kentucky, detailed the impact of local tourism on tax revenue, job creation and the local economy.
It showed that without Hoosier Park's influence, Madison County saw a $6 million increase in tourism over the previous year.
2008 also saw an increase in local jobs attributed to the tourism industry, in spite of climbing unemployment rates.
"A total of 3,710 jobs in Madison County resulted from the industry in 2008 - an increase of 1,140 jobs," the report noted.
The report's findings came as little surprise to Greg Graham, Anderson's chairman of the Board of Public Works.
"The impact of Hoosier Park on Anderson is huge," Graham said. "Not only do they employ close to 1,000 people, (but) they've made Anderson a destination."
Mark Lamey, a member and former president of the Visitors and Convention Bureau, said the casino's influence on tourism is unquestionable. Lamey said the bureau wanted concrete figures for the influence of the casino. "We wanted to see the impact of the casino on tourism dollars," he added.
The impact is significant. Without the casino, the report indicates that Anderson's 2008 tourism dollars for direct expenditures totaled $127.2 million. About $109 million in tourism is directly attributed to the casino.
Direct expenditures are monies collected when a tourist buys a souvenir, stays in a hotel or dines at a local restaurant.
Indirect expenditures are the monies spent by vendors and businesses benefiting from direct expenditures.
"These direct expenditures create a ripple-like effect through the economy," the report concluded. "The businesses receiving these dollars use them to pay wages and salaries, to purchase goods and services for the businesses, and to pay taxes."
Although the numbers indicate a significant impact on local businesses, Vipul Modi, manager of the Clarian Inn, said his expectations of the casino were not met in 2008.
Those who come to Anderson during the week to gamble, Modi said, are not staying overnight, which means that he sees little benefit from the casino.
On the weekends, he said, casino traffic accounts for only 5 percent of his business. "We had expected a better impact than that," Modi said.
Regardless of the impact on local hotels, the casino is attracting the masses from outside the county.
Jahnae Erpenbach, vice president of marketing for Hoosier Park, said of the facility's 3 million visits over the past year, 70 percent were from outside of Madison County.
Locals have also made a big mark on the tourism dollars generated.
The tourism report noted that locals contributed $31.5 million in direct spending to local tourism, resulting in the creation of 504 jobs.
Madison County Commissioner Paul Wilson is encouraged by the job creation being seen in the local tourism industry.
"As income is lessened in the manufacturing area, it's something to pick up the slack," he said.
Beyond the impact on local businesses, the local tourism business is a boost for city and county governments.
In 2008, local tourism dollars generated $211.6 million in tax revenues for 2008 compared to $191.9 million in 2007.
This meant $169.3 million for the state, $27.5 million to the federal government and $14.8 million for the local county and city governments.
Graham said the influx of gaming cash has been helpful in a time when local budgets are being slashed.
"The formula for distribution benefits the city of Anderson with $210,000 a month," he said. "Of course, the county and the cities benefit from the impact also."
More than gambling
Although Hoosier Park's casino has had a significant impact on the local tourism business, the report also analyzes tourism beyond Hoosier Park.
Without revenues generated from the casino, Madison County netted $127.2 million in direct expenditures, and Mounds State Park was the second-most visited destination in Madison County, in spite of the fact that campers make up only 1 percent of all tourists to the county.
Angie Manuel, an interpretive naturalist for the park, said Mounds is known for its history, not its size.
Mounds State Park is Indiana's smallest state park, but boasts its most unique Native American-made attraction.
The mounds the park is named for have attracted 400,000 visitors a year for many years, she said.
Despite the economic recession, Manuel said she thinks the park will reach this benchmark again in 2009.
The park is also ideal for novice campers and those unfamiliar with the outdoors, she added.
"I think people are attracted to a smaller, more family-friendly park," Manuel said. "If they forget something, there's a grocery store five minutes away. If it rains, there's a movie theater five minutes away. People just really enjoy the atmosphere."
The $127 million in non-casino tourism is also generated in other parts of town.
Manuel said many visitors to Mounds State Park visit other destinations in Anderson.
"They do multiple stops in Anderson," she said. "It might be Anderson University. It might be the Paramount Theatre. It might be Good's candy shop. They will go to Bickel's or the Gruenewald House."
With or without the casino, Manuel believes Anderson has a lot to offer. "There's lots of things for people to do when they come here."