Partnership with Visit Fort Wayne
Visitors to Allen County spend over $1.1 billion in our community annually. Work with us to attract more visitors to our community, and bring their spending to your business!
Who We Are
Visit Fort Wayne is a partnership-based organization that exists to amplify everything that makes Fort Wayne exceptional. We celebrate our great community, and work to shine a spotlight on area businesses, cultural organizations, and other stakeholders, equipping our partners with resources to help them better tell their stories and be a part of the city’s broader narrative.
As Allen County’s official Destination Marketing Organization, Visit Fort Wayne is your trusted connection to the region’s leisure visitors and convention and tournament attendees – a $1.1 billion industry in Allen County. We are the only organization in Allen County directly responsible for driving visitors and their spending to our community.
We invite you to connect with these lucrative audiences, as well as interested locals, through invested partnership, which provides access to our powerful suite of marketing materials.
We are Fort Wayne and Allen County’s chief sales and marketing agency, responsible for elevating the brand of Fort Wayne.
We market Fort Wayne through:
- Destination branding to position Fort Wayne as a vibrant, fun, family-friendly community
- Convention sales efforts to attract conventions, meeting, and sporting events to Fort Wayne
- Integrated marketing campaigns to drive visitors to Fort Wayne through advertising, PR, and social media
We welcome and connect by:
- Assisting with the successful execution of more than 250 meetings, tournaments, and conventions each year
- Creating maps, guides, curated content, and visitor resources to help guests discover all there is to find in Fort Wayne
We promote local businesses by:
- Driving traffic to local hotels, attractions, restaurants, and almost 1,000 businesses involved in the local hospitality community
- Serving as a marketing catalyst for Economic Development
- Organizing and supporting major events like Savor Fort Wayne, Be a Tourist in Your Own Hometown, and the Power of Tourism Hospitality Awards
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Why It's Important
When visitors spend money in our community, where does it go?
Each year, Allen County welcomes 9.2 million visitors who spend over $1.1 billion annually on food, hotels, transportation, activities, and events! Allen County ranks #3 of 92 Indiana counties in tourism spending. Tourism is Allen County’s 8th largest employer, supporting 14,135 direct jobs!
Visitors spend their money throughout our community. Visitor spending goes to:
Food & Beverage Shopping Transportation Attractions/
EntertainmentLodging 32% 26% 17% 13% 12%
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Demographics
- 60% Female
- 53% between the ages of 25-54
- Majority have children in the home
Website
According to VisitFortWayne.com visits, Visitors Center inquiries, and ad responses, visitors come to Fort Wayne from the following states:
- Indiana – 40%
- Ohio – 10%
- Illinois – 9%
- Michigan – 5%
- Other – 36%
Conversion Study Results
When asked “did Visit Fort Wayne’s advertising motivate you to visit?” 81% said yes
When asked “did you visit the website (VisitFortWayne.com) while planning your visit?” 88% said yes
90% of those surveyed said that they do more in a destination when they read the Visitors Guide and they discover and do things that they wouldn’t have known about. They learn about the destination in the Visitors Guide and then go online to the destination website to learn more and book specific travel.
People are convinced to visit – and to do and spend more – when they get a Visitors Guide or visit the website.
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Invest in us to become an industry partner, and become a part of the city’s premier marketing entity! Visit Fort Wayne is the only organization devoted to bringing convention and tourism-generated dollars to our community and to your business.
A n invested partnership with Visit Fort Wayne means that your business is referred to thousands of customers who contact us for information about Fort Wayne. Becoming an invested industry partner is a low-cost and easy way to make sure your business remains visible to the area’s visitors and to keep yourself informed on what’s happening in the local travel and tourism industry.
Our partnership program provides you with enhanced connectivity and access to our visitor audience and our internal team. On top of this, as part of our partner network, you’ll also stay in the know on all the important industry trends and upcoming events.
Get maximum exposure through Visit Fort Wayne’s award-winning print and digital publications. It’s an investment that will connect your business directly to locals and leisure, meeting, and group travelers.
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Advertising
- Listing and photo on VisitFortWayne.com – hosts 1.7 million visitors and 3.8 million page views annually
- Partners receive a fully customizable landing page with photos and listing information
- Listing and photo in the 2025-2026 Official Visitors Guide – 70,000 printed and distributed annually
- Partners receive a photo with listing in the Guide
- Opportunity to invest in additional advertising in the Visitors Guide and VisitFortWayne.com
- Event promotion on VisitFortWayne.com, CurrentFortWayne.com, and other community calendars in our network
- Brochures and promotion in the Visitors Center
- Discounts on merchandise in the Visitors Center for client gifting or hotel gift shops
Sales
- Sales, Service, and Group Tour Leads Access to Market Research
- Quarterly Sales and Partner Services Meetings
- Convention Calendar Access – learn what groups are arriving, up to two years in advance
- Access to STR hotel occupancy data for Allen County
Marketing
- Inclusion in specialty marketing products when applicable (Tear-off Maps, Restaurant Maps, Specialty Business Listings, Neighborhood Guides, etc), as well as inclusion in digital marketing initiatives like our Savings Pass
- Exclusive Advertising, Marketing, Social Media, and PR Opportunities Special pricing for Education and Networking Events:
- Savor Fort Wayne Annual Restaurant Week
- Connect Events
- Power of Tourism Hospitality Awards
- Access to photos, video, and Fort Wayne promotional material
- Listing and photo on VisitFortWayne.com – hosts 1.7 million visitors and 3.8 million page views annually
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How does Visit Fort Wayne draw visitors to the region?
We place advertising in the Midwest to promote our fun, hospitable city that has so much for families to enjoy! In cities like Detroit, South Bend, Toledo, and Indianapolis, residents see ads that invite
them to plan getaway trips to our great city.And when meeting and tournament planners are looking for the next place to host their event, our sales team is there to tell them about the amazing venues and hospitality in Fort Wayne/Allen County.
How is Visit Fort Wayne funded?
Visit Fort Wayne is funded through a hotel room tax assessed on our overnight visitors. The more visitors we attract, the more funding we have to advertise our city to additional groups and families.
How is Visit Fort Wayne different from Greater Fort Wayne?
Greater Fort Wayne Inc. is the single point of contact for economic growth and business services in Fort Wayne/Allen County, Indiana. They focus on supporting local business, attracting new business, and improving our community’s quality of place to grow jobs, wages, and the economy.
At Visit Fort Wayne, we work to bring visitors and potential new residents, while they work to bring business. Together we work to promote and advance the economic health of our community.
How do you do this?
Our Convention Sales team sells Allen County as a convention, tournament, meeting, and trade show destination to statewide and national groups. The
team collaborates with other hospitality and industry professionals to produce leads to host meetings, conventions, and tournaments in our community’s venues.Our Marketing Department supports the promotion of leisure, meetings, and sports tourism market segments through strategic marketing, public relations, digital, and social tactics. They are engaged in raising the profile of Fort Wayne as a vibrant, must- visit, world-class city.
Our Partnerships and Visitors Center team handles the sales and promotion of our partners, showcasing your business to Fort Wayne’s visitors, residents, and potential new residents. We handle thousands of calls, emails, and over 5,000 walk-ins every year.
Our Destination Development team works to grow and support our industry. With the recent creation of our community’s 10-year Tourism Master Plan, they are currently focused on accessibility, sports, and music tourism, as well as industry support and community development.
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THE VALUE OF THE LOCAL TOURISM INDUSTRY
Investments in Fort Wayne’s visitor economy drive broader economic growth.
Investment in Fort Wayne’s tourism marketing generates dividends by attracting groups and leisure visitors.
Tourism promotion improves our quality of life, raises the profile of our city, and attracts business decision makers and organizations – all while fundamentally benefiting economic development.
Fort Wayne and Allen County businesses welcome more than 9.2 million visitors and $1.1 billion in visitor expenditures annually.
Boosts the Economy
Visitor spending infuses $1.1 billion new dollars into Fort Wayne annually and pays $119 million in state and local taxes.
Fort Wayne boasts 24% growth in annual tourism spending.
Sustains Jobs
Fort Wayne’s visitor industry sustains 14,135 jobs, 1/3 of which are in high wage occupations. Tourism is Allen County’s 9th largest employer.
Raises the Community's Profile
Promoting Fort Wayne as a visitor destination builds awareness and familiarity with investors, organizations, and networks - attracting investment and improving our Quality of Place.
Enhances Quality of Life
Visitor spending supports community amenities. More than 40% of Embassy, Zoo, and TinCaps guests are from outside of Fort Wayne - sustaining the businesses residents value.
Source; Rockport Analytics
Our Staff
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FESTIVALS & SPECIAL EVENTS
Blue Jacket - Fantasy of Lights
Brewed IN the Fort
Fort Wayne Home & Garden Show
Fort Wayne Village Marketplace
Grabill Country Fair
Kuehnert Dairy FarmATTRACTIONS & MUSEUMS
Allen County Courthouse
Allen County Public Library
Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum
Black Pine Animal Sanctuary
Chief Richardville House
Country Heritage Winery & Vineyard
DeKalb County Visitors Bureau
Diocesan Museum
Discover Roanoke
Grabill Town Hall
Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory
Fort Wayne Zoo
Fort Wayne Firefighters Museum
Fort Wayne Museum of Art
Science Central
Sweet Breeze
Sweetwater
The Genealogy Center
The History Center
The Old Fort
Two EE’s Winery
Veterans National Memorial ShrineSHOPPING
3 Rivers Co-Op
3 Rivers Soap Co.
Aaron’s Fine Rug Gallery
Blue Bottle Shop
Cog & Pearl
Conservatory Shop
Cottage Flowers
Creative Women of the World
DeBrand Fine Chocolates
Downtown Wellness Spa
Fancy & Staple
Ft. Wayne’s Farmers Market
Fuller Plants
Gallery 02
Glenbrook Square
Good Bread
Good Shepherd Books & Gifts
History Center Gift Shop
Honey Plant
Hopscotch House
Kreative Framing
Kuehnert Milk House
Northside Galleries
Paradigm Gallery at FWMoA
Poptique Popcorn
Rudy’s Wine Craft Beer & Cigars
Ruth Koomler Art Gallery
Sharon’s Victorian House of Gifts
Stoner’s Funstore
Sweetwater Music Store
The Olive Twist
The Orchard Team Store
The Painted Lady
The Rcade
Third World Shoppe
Vera BradleyARTS, VENUES & ENTERTAINMENT
All for One Productions, Inc.
Allen County Fairgrounds
Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
Arts United - Arts Campus
Bach Collegium
Clyde Theatre
Downtown Fort Wayne
Embassy Theatre
First Presbyterian Church
First Presbyterian Theater
Fort Wayne Ballet, Inc.
Fort Wayne Zoo - Pavilions
Fort Wayne Civic Theatre
Fort Wayne Philharmonic
Fort Wayne Youtheatre
Grand Wayne Convention Center
Kruse Plaza
Orchard Gallery of Fine Art
PFW - College of Visual & Performing Arts
Sweetwater Performance Pavilion
The Dinner Detective
The Pearl Event Center
Turnstone
Unity Performing Arts Foundation, Inc.SPORTS & RECREATION
Allen Co. Parks & Recreation
Combat Ops
Crazy Pinz
Empowered Sports Club
Fort Wayne FC Soccer
Fort Wayne Komets
Fort Wayne Outfitters
Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation
Fort Wayne Tincaps
Fort Wayne Wizard’s World Pinball
Georgetown Entertainment Center
Lazer X
LC Nature Park
Putt-Putt Fun Center
PSM Fieldhouse
PSM Icehouse
The PlexDINING
ACME
Arbor
BakerStreet Steakhouse
Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano
Birdie's Rooftop
BRU Burger Bar
Casa! Ristorante
Cindy’s Diner
Club Soda
Common Grounds
Conner’s Kitchen
Conner’s Rooftop
Cookie Cottage
Copper Spoon
Crescendo Coffee
Dana’s
Dash-In
Davey’s Delicious Bagels
Ducky’s
Eddie Merlot’s
Giordano’s
Hall’s Restaurants
Henry’s
Hoppy Gnome & Gnometown Brewing
Hop River Brewing Co.
J.K. O’Donnell’s
Kanela
Kilwins
Legendary Life Juice Bar
Mad Anthony Brewing Co.
Marquee
Mercado
Mitchell’s Venue
Nawa
Night Train
Nori Asian Fusion Cuisine
Oh Five Scoop Shop
Papi’s Pizza
Penny Drip
Pikoso Burrito Co.
Proximo
Rune Restaurant
Saisaki
Shigs in Pit Barbeque
Spoke + Ivy
Steady Eddy’s Station
Tall Rabbit Cafe + Community
The Brass Rail
The Clubroom at the Clyde
The Oyster Bar
Udder Upp Cafe
Union Street Market
Wu’s FIne Chinese CuisineLODGING
The Amaya
Beside Still Waters
Best Western Luxbury
Best Western PLUS Fort Wayne Inn & Suites North
The Bradley
Candlewood Suites
Comfort Suites Southwest
Courtyard by Marriott - Downtown
Fairfield Inn & Suites - Southwest
Hampton Inn & Suites - Hilton Downtown
Hampton Inn Southwest
Hilton Fort Wayne - Grand Wayne Center
Hilton Garden Inn
Hilton Garden Inn North
Holiday Inn Express & Suites
Holiday Inn Express & Suites - North
Holiday Inn Express - New Haven
Holiday Inn Purdue Fort Wayne
Home2 Suites by Hilton North
Homewood Suites by Hilton
Hyatt Place Fort Wayne
Magnuson Hotel Fort Wayne North
Residence Inn by Marriott -
Southwest
Oakwood Resort
SpringHill Suites North
SpringHill Suites Southwest
Staybridge Suites
TownePlace Suites
Wyndham Garden Fort WayneRELOCATION & COMMUNITY
Apartment Association of Fort Wayne
Arcadia Apartments
Bankers Advertising & Promotions
Canterbury School
City of Fort Wayne
EdwardRose
EP Graphics
Fast Print, Inc.
FWCS
Fort Wayne International Airport
Fort Wayne Shows Inc.
Indiana Tech
MedPro Group
MKM architecture + design
North Eastern Group Realty
Lancia Homes
Legendary Lounge & Co.
Greater Fort Wayne - Onboard
Parkview Health
PFW - Hospitality & Tourism Program
Sandpoint Living Interiors
University of Saint Francis
Upstate Alliance of Realtors