October Illinois Tourism Monthly

Daniel Thomas, Illinois Office of Tourism (IOT)

Welcome to Illinois Tourism Monthly, our B2B forum for all things Enjoy Illinois. Whether you would like to engage with the Illinois Office of Tourism directly, receive updates on our latest news or events across the state, or catch up on the latest tourism trends - you are in the right place.

My listening tour is in full swing! Over the past month, I've hosted 10 roundtable discussions and met with CVBs and tourism professionals from locations across the state including Southern Illinois, DuPage, McHenry, Joliet, Peoria, DeKalb, Rockford, Aurora, Elgin, Oak Park, and Chicago.

During these candid discussions, I've shared local tourism impact numbers for each county, discussed how markets are performing, facilitated Q&A sessions, and talked with stakeholders regarding their goals, challenges, and successes. Most importantly, I've been learning how IOT can further assist our great industry in their tourism endeavors.

I've also met with some of our incredible Illinois Makers during this trip. It's truly been an enlightening experience.

Today, October 5, I'll be sharing a snapshot of my first 100 days as Deputy Director at the ICCVB Fall Meeting. I'll also have updates and news from the industry and will be discussing how our CVBs can all work together to build an incredible future for Illinois tourism.

As always, please feel free to reach out to me via email. I look forward to many more productive discussions.

Yours in tourism partnership,

The Middle of Fall In Illinois

In September, IOT launched its fall tourism campaign, which includes the return of the ever-popular Illinois Fall Colors Trip Planner.

The planner serves as a helpful tool to assist residents and visitors in discovering the best times and places to spot fall foliage across the state while supporting local communities and small businesses in the process.

This year's guide features interactive elements that allow users to easily track peak fall colors by region and date.

The interactive trip planner shows visitors the best times to discover photo-worthy fall spots and to help plan unforgettable fall getaways for the season.

Along with the planner, IOT has begun promoting an extensive collection of seasonal trip ideas—ranging from colorful pumpkin patches to visit, to quirky fall festivals, and delicious autumnal food and drink to discover around the state.

For weekly updates on changing colors, visit the fall color report page.

New Middle of Everything Fall Campaign Launched

IOT has also unveiled its latest seasonal TV spots for the Middle of Everything campaign, starring Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning actress and director, Jane Lynch.

The campaign spots capture the essence of the state's colorful landscapes and lively urban scenes in the fall. The locations featured include the meandering beauty of the Great River Road along the Mississippi River, the iconic 360 Chicago Observation Deck where visitors can spot the changing colors of the city from new heights, the enchanting Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, and many more.

Click here to view the new fall campaign spots.

IOT Scores Editorial Placement in Midwest Living Magazine

In a partnership with Experience Champaign-Urbana CVB, IOT secured a story segment in the current issue of Midwest Living Magazine.

Midwest Living is a regional publication, created by Dotdash Meredith, that covers region-specific travel and events, food and dining, and editorial content categories.

The placement features a new folk school that recently opened in central Illinois called The Farms: Allerton Park. Regarded as Illinois' first folk school, The Farms offers a place where people can learn hands-on skills in a natural setting. Among the courses offered are weaving, bookbinding, "Improve Your Improv", and many more.

The article is part of the current issue of the print and online edition of the magazine.

Deputy Director Thomas in the Middle of Listening Tour

Last month, Deputy Director of the Illinois Office of Tourism, Daniel Thomas, hit the road on a 25-stop listening tour.

Spanning 12 weeks, Daniel embarked on this statewide tour to connect with CVBs and tourism professionals throughout every region of Illinois. Daniel has been sharing the Enjoy Illinois story and discussing the individual challenges faced by attendees to determine how the Office of Tourism can best assist with their initiatives.

The tour is expected to continue until the end of November with stops including Galena, Quad Cities, Quincy, Kankakee, Effingham, Springfield, and more.

New Grant Opportunities Coming Soon...

IOT will soon be launching new grant opportunities including the Tourism Attraction Grant Program, which is set at $10.8 million, and the Tourism Private Sector Grant Program, which is used to fund events and festivals and is set at $4.6 million.

Additionally, the Tourism Marketing Grant Program is tentatively scheduled to launch later this year at $4 million including $1.5 million for Cook County applicants and $2.5 million for non-Cook County applicants.

For current grant opportunities, the International Grant Program is accepting submissions. Applications are due by Friday, October 6
at 5 PM.

Route 66 grant applications must be submitted by Monday, October 30.

Click here for more information about available grants.

Travel Pulse Announces $8 Billion In Travel Agency Air Ticket Sales

According to data from Airlines Reporting Corporation in a Travel Pulse article, travel agency air ticket sales for August 2023 skyrocketed to just over $8 billion - a 10% increase on August of last year.

International Tourism Hit 84% of Pre-Pandemic Level

According to the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), international tourism has made a significant recovery, reaching 84% of its pre-pandemic level between January and July 2023. The Middle East stands out as the region with the strongest demand, surpassing pre-pandemic levels +20%. UNWTO anticipates that pent-up demand and improved air connectivity in Asia-Pacific will boost international tourism to 95% of pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2023.

Demographics, Loneliness, Work, and Climate Will Define the Future of Travel

Four major forces have been identified as shaping the future of travel: demographic shifts (aging global population), the loneliness crisis, the evolving future of work (due to Al and changing leisure patterns), and the urgent need for climate adaptation. These trends have been accelerated by the pandemic and will profoundly influence the travel industry.

Tourism brands must adapt their offerings to cater to an aging demographic, consider ways to address the loneliness crisis through community-driven travel experiences, be agile in providing travel options for those with evolving work-leisure dynamics, and prioritize sustainability to meet the urgent need for climate adaptation.