Travel Tuesday, December 18

This is a bittersweet edition of Travel Tuesday for me, as this will be the final digest of my tenure as the Director of the Illinois Office of Tourism. But that doesn't mean my dedication to Illinois tourism is at an end — in fact, it's just beginning!

As announced last week, I've accepted a position as the Vice President of Communications at the historic Navy Pier, where I will be working hard with a growing team to draw more locals and tourists alike to one of Illinois' biggest attractions.

Before I finish my tenure, though, there is still plenty of work to be done to inspire travel in Illinois. Last week, I appeared on Fox 32 in Chicago to talk about holiday happenings across Illinois. Through digital and broadcast coverage, we reached 610,000 people with a media value of $6,000. It's that type of small win that, over the years, has made serving in this post so rewarding; even if meant waking up at 4 a.m., every interview and public appearance gave me the chance to simply spread the word about Illinois, knowing that every segment might be just the thing to inspire someone new to plan a getaway in our wonderful state.

I can't say "goodbye" without saying "thank you" as well. The success of the Illinois Office of Tourism has always been because of our valuable tourism partners — especially the CVBs across the state, whose tireless efforts to promote their regions have imbued Illinois with such a diverse range of amazing activities and local destinations.

Over the past four years, we've broken records in Illinois tourism. Visitor growth to Illinois increased by 4 million, visitor expenditures increased by $2.5 billion, we created 20,200 additional jobs across our state, and local/state tax revenues increased by $375 million. This year, international expenditures are up 5% — and for the current fiscal year, accommodation revenues are up 8.6%. That's all thanks to our collective efforts to get visitors to stay longer in Illinois. I couldn't have done it without you.

Though I am moving on, I am confident I am leaving Illinois tourism in good hands. We have established a brand campaign that is working hard for the state around the world. We created an award-winning website, laid out a plan to fill it with great content, and launched the Travel Illinois magazine to create even more inspiring stories about Illinois. Small-business owners are excited to be included among our Illinois Made makers, and the program will soon expand to 200 artisans from all over the state. Let's not forget the creation of our award-winning new diversity-awareness campaign for the LGBTQ community, Amazing For All, which shows potential travelers that Illinois is a place where everyone and anyone can visit and feel at home.

All of these efforts are among my proudest achievements as the State Tourism Director, but I am most proud of the people who make Illinois tourism so amazing. After all, tourism is an industry about inspiring people to get out and see the beauty in every corner of the world. This newsletter has been my weekly way of saying: Illinois is the most amazing corner in all the world, and it would be a shame to keep that a secret.

So, let me just say: farewell. To all the dedicated, talent professionals who care so deeply about tourism, both in Illinois and beyond — thank you. It's been my honor to serve this amazing state.

Your friend in Illinois tourism — forever and always,

In 2015, we announced the launch of the Illinois Made program — a celebration of the artisans, craftspeople, and small businesses that make Illinois thrive. Through media promotions, original stories and even documentary-style videos, the Illinois Made program allows the Illinois Office of Tourism to showcase and celebrate these makers, highlighting their passion for what they do and the positive impact they’ve made on the people and culture of the state. By the end of 2018, the program will have expanded to include 200 makers, all of whom have made a unique contribution to their communities and to Illinois tourism.

It wasn't the first year of record growth — and it wasn't even the last — but 2016 was the strongest sign yet that the state of Illinois tourism is strong. Some 110 million total domestic visitors came to Illinois in 2016, a total of one million more than the previous year. In Chicago alone, growth in domestic visitor growth reached 2.7%, outpacing the domestic traveler growth for the entire U.S. (2.4%). Subsequent years have seen even better numbers: in 2017, nearly 114 million people traveled to Illinois, an increase of 1.4% compared to 2016.

Oh, and the Chicago Cubs won the World Series. Who could ever forget?

Many exciting initiatives launched in 2016, including Amazing For All — Illinois' campaign to raise awareness among diverse and LGBTQ visitors that the state welcomes visitors of all stripes. But maybe the most exciting thing for Illinois tourism was something only the stars could control: a total solar eclipse, whose path of totality happened to pass right through Southern Illinois. For a brief moment, Carbondale became the crossroads of the 2017 Solar Eclipse — one of the best places in the entire country to watch the moon pass over the sun.

Luckily for Illinois, the eclipse wasn't a once-in-a-lifetime event. Southern Illinois will once again have one of the best views of the eclipse when it occurs again on April 8, 2024. And we'll be right back there in Carbondale for a front-row seat of the action.

Illinois became the 21st state in the Union on December 3, 1818. Two centuries later, the Illinois Office of Tourism helped usher in the Bicentennial celebration. Along with hosting special events — such as a statewide birthday party with custom cheesecakes from Eli's Cheesecake — IOT launched a new content series, 200 Years, 200 Stories, to introduce visitors to the Illinois' amazing history. Through original articles and videos, the series covered everything from Chicago's legendary sports teams to little-known facts about Illinois' small towns. Head over to EnjoyIllinois.com/200 to read the series.