Chamber Magazine

If it feels like St. Joseph County has been buzzing this year, the data confirms it. 2025 is officially a record-setting year for tourism and hospitality growth. From hotel demand to short-term rental activity, nearly every metric is breaking historic highs—outpacing not only previous years locally, but the performance of nearly every other county in Indiana.

Visit South Bend Mishawaka Executive Director Jeff Jarnecke has chronicled this surge in his South Bend Tribune tourism columns throughout the year, painting a picture of a destination that has hit its stride—and then some. He notes that while many communities across the state are seeing flat or modest gains, St. Joseph County is “setting the pace for Indiana tourism,” driven by a powerful mix of sports tourism, business investment, large-scale events, a booming visitor economy and the region’s growing national visibility.

He points out that this momentum isn’t a lucky streak; it’s the result of several years of strategic investment in hospitality infrastructure, expanded air service, facility upgrades and a strong regional brand. The county welcomes more than 5.7 million visitors annually, supporting a vibrant hospitality sector that includes 52 hotels, more than 5,200 hotel rooms, and over 1,500 short-term rentals across Airbnb and VRBO.

What’s Fueling the Surge?

Sports tourism continues to dominate, with youth tournaments, college athletics and championship-level events filling weekend calendars. In addition, major conventions and meetings continue to grow steadily as organizations return to in-person gatherings and choose South Bend for its accessibility and affordability.

Large-scale economic development projects, including the AWS data center and regional workforce expansions, are generating increased business travel. It’s estimated that there are 4,500 construction workers on-site daily at the AWS data center campus near New Carlisle with more than half being from outside of the area. These workers are living temporarily in St. Joseph County accounting for 133,000 additional hotel room nights, generating an estimated $1 million in extra revenue through the county’s innkeeper tax.

Cultural and entertainment events, from concerts, like Zach Bryan, to festivals, are drawing out-of-town guests and helping fill mid-week room nights.

By the Numbers: A Record Year for St. Joseph County (2025)

Local performance is soaring well above statewide averages:

• Hotel Occupancy: +16% year-over-year, reaching a record average of 61.2%
• Average Daily Rate (ADR): $135.67 (up 5% year-over-year)
• Short-Term Rental Occupancy: +18% year-over-year
• Hotel Demand: +16% year-over-year, totaling 913,395 room nights through October

To put this into perspective: Indiana statewide saw only a 0.7% increase in rates and a slight decline in occupancy (-0.1%). St. Joseph County isn’t just outperforming the state—it’s helping carry it.

Hospitality Positioned for Even More Growth

Jarnecke often reminds people that record years don’t happen by accident. They happen when a region deliberately cultivates a strong visitor experience and invests in spaces that attract people. Recent improvements—from new hotels and venues to expanded recreational offerings—have strengthened the area’s attractiveness for both leisure and business travelers. Just this week, the Potawatomi Zoo announced record attendance for the year exceeding 400,000 visitors due to their bear and giraffe habitats and special events like Zoo Luminate. The South Bend International Airport is on record pace for number of passengers and continues to add new and more routes to meet demand.

With continued development, expanding sports facilities, marquee events and strong collaboration between Visit South Bend Mishawaka, community partners and local businesses, St. Joseph County is poised to sustain this momentum well into 2026 and beyond. In a year filled with milestones, one reality stands out: tourism isn’t just thriving—it’s transforming our regional economy.