PORTER, Ind.—Indiana Dunes Tourism, the official destination marketing organization for the Indiana Dunes Area and Porter County, has launched a new “Indiana Dunes Tourism App” on the App Store and Google Play. This free all-in-one app is a user’s guide to exploring the Indiana Dunes and its surrounding communities.
The app features interactive maps showing the locations of beaches, trails, parks and communities; dining, shopping and local business listings; event calendars with festivals, concerts and activities; coupons and discounts and even insider tips to help users explore like locals.
While the app has almost everything available on IndianaDunes.com, it’s also home to unique, curated experiences like the 3 Pizza Challenge, Coffee & Sweets Trail, Discovery Trail, Taco Trail and soon-to-be Arts + Culture Trail. Many of these self-guided trails are gamified, offering rewards and other incentives to “check in” at local businesses and attractions.
“One of our primary missions is to incentivize guests to ‘shake off the sand south of the dunes,’” said Dustin Ritchea, the Communications and Creative Director for Indiana Dunes Tourism. “The trails on our app help us do that, offering a passive way for our local businesses to receive extra guests.”
According to Ritchea, local organizations, such as the Valparaiso Creative Council, are already using the Indiana Dunes Tourism app to promote their own “trails,” such as the Mural Walk in downtown Valparaiso.
The app is also home to Sand + Steel, another self-guided trail highlighting 45 sand-and-steel-themed locations near U.S. Route 12.
“Sand + Steel is an ongoing regional initiative Indiana Dunes Tourism is proud to be a driver for throughout Northwest Indiana,” said Christine Livingston, the President and CEO of Indiana Dunes Tourism. “The app is the perfect vehicle to launch this campaign, and we are excited to be collaborating with the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority, Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, Porter County Community Foundation, Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission and Northwest Indiana Forum, as we continue to improve it with additional sites, videos and content.”
According to Livingston, as of June 17, the app already has 13,157 total users and has generated 135,007 page views, most of which are to local business listings.
Anyone looking to check out the Indiana Dunes Tourism app can download it today. By signing up, users can create itineraries, save interests and even map their journey throughout the Indiana Dunes Area.
“When creating the app, we tried to focus our attention on the overall user experience,” said Ritchea. “We put a lot of energy into creating categories and experiences we believe will resonate with visitors and locals alike. Being a local myself, when someone asks me a question about an upcoming event, my first instinct now is to open up the app.”
Whether you’re planning ahead or already living in the Indiana Dunes Area, the app makes it easy to discover everything the dunes has to offer, putting adventure at your fingertips.
App Store Link:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/
Google Play Link:
https://play.google.com/store/
Indiana Dunes Tourism is the official destination marketing, planning and development organization dedicated to enhancing sustainability, driving economic growth and fostering a high-quality of place throughout Porter County and the Indiana Dunes area. To learn more about Indiana Dunes Tourism, visit them online at IndianaDunes.com.
