The Elkhart County Convention & Visitors Bureau announced that February and March will be big months for Elkhart County’s tourism and hospitality industry thanks to two major swimming events coming to the city of Elkhart.
Hundreds of athletes, coaches and support staff, and family and friends will call Elkhart and the surrounding area their temporary home for the Great Lakes Valley Conference Swimming & Diving Championships from February 11-15 at Elkhart Health and Aquatics, 200 E. Jackson Blvd., Elkhart.
That’s followed three weeks later by another major event, the NAIA Swimming and Diving Championships.
The GLVC event has been staged in Elkhart before, in 2021 and 2022, and returns to downtown Elkhart for another two-year stint, with the 2026 GLVC Swimming & Diving Championships also planned for Elkhart.
“We are looking forward to hosting the 2025 GLVC Swimming & Diving Championships at the Elkhart Health & Aquatic Center on February 11-15. Our league boasts some of the top women’s and men’s teams in NCAA Division II and we’re thrilled to provide our talented student-athletes with such a great venue to compete and showcase all our programs,” said GLVC Commissioner Jim Naumovich.
The GLVC event is expected to include around 500 student-athletes and coaches, 100 volunteers and support staff, and on average 350 fans per day. There are 11 member schools in the GLVC event, including the University of Indianapolis.
“We welcome everyone from the GLVC and its member schools to Elkhart and hope they have an excellent meet with plenty of highlights and personal bests. For competitive swimmers, it’s hard to match Elkhart Health & Aquatics for its quality. We know GLVC members and their fans will also love the diverse lodging opportunities, restaurants and shopping while they’re here for five days or more,” said Jon Hunsberger, executive director of the Elkhart County CVB.
Elkhart County CVB staff have been working with GLVC organizers to coordinate lodging opportunities with local hotels as well as other services that teams will need while they are in Elkhart. Teams competing in Elkhart have access to a website created by the Elkhart County CVB providing information, tips and advice for visiting Elkhart County, including the ability to book a hotel stay.
Sports events such as a major swimming event that carries over multiple days, with competitors from outside Elkhart County, provide significant economic benefits to Elkhart County businesses. A 2023 swimming event that brought about 1,500 competitors and coaches to Elkhart for four days generated more than $1.1 million in spending by visitors.
Competitors, coaches and support staff, and family stay at local hotels, eat out at local restaurants, order catering services from local providers, and shop at local stores, bringing revenue to those businesses and helping to pay for the salaries of workers.
About the Elkhart County CVB
The Elkhart County CVB is the official tourism advertising/marketing and public/community relations organization for the Elkhart County hospitality industry. The ECCVB advances quality-of-place initiatives in our downtowns and rural spaces, parks and natural environment, arts and culture, and events, festivals, groups and activities that help forge social connections.