Planet
Destination Stewardship in Hamilton County
Protecting Our Home, Together
Back to Top of ListA healthy environment is the foundation of a thriving community. As we face challenges like a changing climate, Hamilton County Tourism understands the importance of protecting our natural resources to maintain a healthy community and economy. Our goal is to create a destination where residents and visitors alike can enjoy a vibrant place to live, work, and explore.
Through our Destination Stewardship program, Hamilton County Tourism focuses on reducing the negative impacts of tourism and creating practices that benefit both our communities and our visitors. Our goal is to implement sustainable practices that offer lasting benefits to our communities while providing meaningful experiences for all who visit.
Sustainability isn't just about protecting the environment—it’s also key to the long-term economic vitality of our community. By promoting sustainable tourism practices, we enhance the overall visitor experience, fostering satisfaction through authentic interactions with our natural and cultural sites. Visitors who feel connected to the places they explore are more likely to return, spread positive word-of-mouth, and support local businesses. In turn, this helps drive economic growth, supporting jobs and creating opportunities for local entrepreneurs.
We’re not alone in this stewardship work. Across the globe, destinations are rethinking tourism to ensure that we give back more than we take. Whether it’s called sustainable tourism, regenerative tourism, or destination stewardship, the mission is the same: to create vibrant, resilient communities where people and nature thrive. Hamilton County is proud to be at the forefront of this movement in the US, with dedicated staff and integrated sustainability goals across all departments.
Caring for our Local Environment
Back to Top of ListHow are we caring for our local environment?
1. Supporting our local environmental experts.
2. Educating our residents, tourism partners and visitors about what they can do.
3. Celebrating the sustainability wins of our tourism partners.




Our Sustainability Projects
Back to Top of List1. Education: Empowering Action
In 2023 and 2024, we partnered with the Friends of the White River to bring local stakeholders out onto the water to experience the White River firsthand. Their River School program teaches participants how to paddle, while also deepening their understanding of our river’s unique ecosystem and importance to our communities.
In 2025, we are offering three sustainability workshops for our tourism partners. These workshops will cover essential topics like conservation, energy efficiency, water management, and waste reduction – inviting our business partners to join us in caring for the natural beauty of our county.
Additionally, our Give Back While You Gather Guide offers resources to help meeting planners integrate sustainability into their events. We also encourage planners to use the Indianapolis Event Waste Guide, a tool for reducing event waste and connecting planners to local resources that align with their sustainability goals.
2. White River Vision Plan: Revitalizing Our Watershed
The White River is essential to our daily lives and the economic health of Hamilton County. It provides water for homes, businesses, and industries, and the river’s potential to enhance the region is enormous. Unfortunately, for too long, the river was neglected and polluted. In 2018, we joined forces with local organizations to create the White River Vision Plan, a community-driven initiative to restore and protect the river.
Through our partnership with Visit Indy, we maintain the Discover White River website, a hub for exploring the river’s past and present. The White Riverway is a 58-mile collection of parks, trails, cultural attractions, activities, and villages – all winding through Hamilton and Marion Counties.
By sharing the river’s stories, we help people connect with it and become advocates for its preservation. Our digital outreach is making an impact: a 2023 sentiment study found that 10% more residents in Hamilton County and 11% more in Marion County now see the river as an asset as compared to 2021.
3. Partnership with our Soil and Water Conservation District
Our collaboration with the Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) is key to our stewardship efforts. SWCD provides residents and businesses with resources to conserve and protect natural resources.
One important focus is educating the public about the dangers of invasive species and promoting the use of native plants to restore our local ecosystems. Invasive species destroy local habitats that are critical for the health of our soil, water and air. Shockingly, 83% of invasive plants that are harming Indiana’s green spaces come from our own home landscaping, so residents can make a huge difference by removing invasives from their properties.
In 2024, we supported SWCD’s outreach efforts to raise awareness about their programs. This resulted in a record year for their Invasive Trade In program, which helps Hamilton County residents trade invasive plants for native alternatives.
4. Supporting our Partners: Grants and Innovation
Since 2006, our Tourism Gives Support Program has provided grants to local nonprofit organizations that focus on tourism, arts, festivals, and history. In recent years, we’ve refocused these grants to include environmental stewardship efforts at local events. For example, we helped Carmel Christkindlmarkt implement a recycling program at its 2023 and 2024 festivals.
We’re also reducing waste by upcycling materials like vinyl and mesh banners from local events. Since 2022, we’ve worked with People for Urban Progress (PUP) to transform these banners into useful items like bags and keychains. These upcycled products are then donated to nonprofits to sell or used as gifts to support community organizations.
Join Us in Stewardship
Back to Top of ListProtecting Hamilton County’s environment is a shared responsibility. Whether you’re a resident, a business owner, or a visitor, your actions matter. Together, we can create a place that benefits everyone—one that enhances the visitor experience, supports vibrant communities, fosters a thriving economy, and preserves our natural beauty for generations to come.
Let’s make stewardship a part of every visit, every decision, and every day.
Katherine Couch Senior Sustainability Manager
