By KRISTINA PALMER Regional Vice President of Sales and Marketing, JSK Hospitality SOUTH BEND — Courtyard  By Mariott will host a ground breaking at 9 a.m. Friday, Aug. 19, at the corner of St. Joseph Street and Jefferson Boulevard, the site of former College Football Hall of Fame. The continuing emergence of downtown South Bend as a …read more.

INDIANAPOLIS — Lt. Governor Eric Holcomb announceD the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs and the Indiana Office of Tourism Development have launched a second round of the Place Based Investment Funds. This program is an opportunity for all Indiana communities to apply for grant funding to support community and economic development projects that …read more.

INDIANAPOLIS — Lt. Governor Eric Holcomb and Indiana Office of Tourism Development Executive Director Mark Newman today, Wednesday, March 23, unveiled the statewide route of this fall’s Indiana Bicentennial Torch Relay. Kosciusko County is on that route. The relay will pass through Kosciusko County between 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29. The torch will travel …read more.

INDIANAPOLIS — Eric Holcomb was sworn in today, March 3, as the 51st lieutenant governor of Indiana in a ceremony in the south atrium of the Indiana Statehouse. Holcomb was sworn in by Indiana Supreme Court Justice Mark Massa, and both Holcomb and Gov. Mike Pence offered remarks. Lt. Gov. Holcomb took his oath on …read more.

HONOLULU — It’s not uncommon for the governor of Hawaii to declare a state of emergency, but the one the governor declared recently was a little different.

WARSAW – An Indiana Office of Tourism Development official lands in Kosciusko County to visit the local convention and visitor’s bureau.

NASHVILLE, IN — The Brown County Convention and Visitors Bureau has announced the launch of a new mobile app called “Discover Brown County.” It is the official handheld, mobile guide for visitors to navigate the county’s tourism attractions. Visitors who download the app will be able to access information on shops, restaurants, lodging and area …read more.

Lt. Gov, Sue Ellspermann announced today the Indiana Office of Tourism Development and Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs awarded 11 communities funding for quality of place initiatives through the Place Based Investment Fund. Winona Lake Limitless Park was among the 11 communities and will receive grant funds ranging from $25,000 to $50,000 to …read more.

Kalamazoo Michigan’s tourism bureau is sponsoring a new way to taste all of Kalamazoo’s different craft beers. “Give a Craft” is a craft beer trail created to promote both tourism and the county’s local breweries at the same time. Participants will receive a beer trail “passport” that can be stamped at 11 different breweries in …read more.

Indiana University-Purdue University of Indianapolis has announced several new accelerated degree programs that will help students graduate earlier and save money in the process. Students who enroll in the new accelerated programs will be able to earn both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in five years instead of six, saving an average of $7,000 in …read more.

The recent death of one of only six remaining Irrawaddy river dolphins in the Mekong River, Laos, is a poignant reminder of the desperate situation these critically endangered animals are facing. Cambodian villagers discovered the carcass of the female dolphin April 1 in Phnom Penh. She was thought to have been one of the oldest …read more.

A new economic impact report released by Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann and the Indiana Office of Tourism Development documents the growing impact tourism has on the Indiana economy. The report shows travel, tourism and hospitality continues to be the sixth largest industry in the state (excluding government), supports over 187,000 jobs and contributes $10.3 billion …read more.

Visit Indy is reporting that 2014 was a record-breaking year for convention and tourism business. The organization booked more than 880,000 convention and hotel room nights for future dates, the most since its founding in 1923. The results significantly exceeeded Visit Indy’s goal of 750,000 bookings. The previous record was set in 2002. “2014 was …read more.

South Bend, IN – Visit South Bend Mishawaka will be hosting the annual Tourism Awards Reception on Wednesday, May 28, from 4:30 to 6:00pm at the DoubleTree by Hilton in downtown South Bend. Twelve awards will be distributed to local hospitality industry professionals who continually strive to promote St. Joseph County as an attractive visitor …read more.

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Office of Tourism Development announced the release of the 2014 Indiana Official Roadway Map. The all-new map is the first partnership of its kind between the Indiana Department of Transportation and IOTD and provides Hoosiers with a single map reflecting INDOT’s roadway accuracy and IOTD’s statewide attraction information. “This new map …read more.

The Indiana Office of Tourism Development is reminding the public to vote now for the best places to see fall foliage and the best places for pie in Indiana. Voting for the Top in “Best of” fall foliage destinations and pies ends Oct. 12 at VisitIndianaFall.com. Winners will be announced Oct. 16. “In my travels …read more.