Daniel Thomas, Illinois Office of Tourism (IOT)
Once a year, the Illinois tourism industry comes together to learn, celebrate and inspire each other at the Illinois Governor's Conference on Travel & Tourism. This year’s theme was "Future Forward," and it's clear that future is a bright one as we position our industry for continued growth and lean into the momentum we’ve all built together.
Thank you to the 360 attendees, sponsors, speakers and partners who helped make this year's event a huge success. I’m truly humbled to lead this incredible industry at the state level and to report record-breaking numbers such as:
✅ $308M Hotel/Motel Tax Revenue
✅ $44B in visitor spending
✅ 111M visitors
✅ $10:$1 local/state tax ratio
Together, we’re taking Illinois and our $78B industry to new heights.
Now, from the conference space to the digital one! A crucial channel for inspiring travel to Illinois is the EnjoyIllinois.com website, so it's particularly exciting to share its brand-new iteration with you. Familiar yet fresh—just like many great travel experiences. Good websites thrive on continuous improvement, and with this extra boost, we're in a great position to represent Illinois strongly online. Read on for some extra details in the next section.
Earlier this week I also had the privilege to stay in Carbondale during the solar eclipse festivities. Witnessing a total solar eclipse for over four minutes was a truly incredible experience. It was also a great opportunity to speak with media and promote all the other incredible attractions on offer year-round in Southern Illinois.
Daniel Thomas
Deputy Director
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity,
Office of Tourism
New EnjoyIllinois.com Website is Live We're excited to have launched the new EnjoyIllinois.com website. It's built on a modern, mobile-first platform with a fresh new design and greatly improved user experience.
Website visitors will notice clearer navigation, more education about Illinois' regions and an enhanced site search with improved relevancy, functionality and speed.
There are even more improvements under the hood. We've modernized the website for newer performance standards such as Google Core Web Vitals, and it features new caching technologies for better site performance. (Translation? People are more likely to see our pages in search engine results, and when they click, the content will load faster.) The upgrades also ensure we continue to meet or exceed accessibility standards.
We've also taken the opportunity to update, refine and consolidate some of our existing content. The full scope of improvements will cement the website as the perfect one-stop shop for Illinois travel inspiration and trip planning. Check it out!
Illinois Governor’s Conference Excellence in Tourism Awards
Celebrating the work of our tourism leaders throughout Illinois is always a highlight of the Illinois Governor’s Conference. This year was no different. It was an honor to recognize the winners of nine categories (with two budget levels), Best of Show and two Illinois Tourism Legacy Awards. Some of the big winners were:
Best Tourism Marketing Budget A
Visit Springfield - Kansas City Carvertise Marketing Campaign
Best Tourism Marketing Budget B
Greater Freeport Partnership - Be A Trailblazer
Best PR Campaign Budget A
Heritage Corridor Destinations - The Great American Road Trip
Best PR Campaign Budget B (TIE)
Ravenswood Chicago - PR campaign for Malt Row in the Ravenswood Corridor by the Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce
Ottawa Visitors Center - Your Hometown
Best of Show
Meet Chicago Northwest - Chicago Northwest is Your Home for Golf
Illinois Tourism Legacy Awards
George Manias - George's Shoeshine & Hatters, Peoria
Roger Carmack - President & CEO, Great Rivers Country
Our Spring/Summer "Middle of Everything" Campaign On April 15, we will launch a new spring/summer integrated marketing campaign aimed at enticing visitors and locals to get outdoors and explore the state. The campaign showcases all our regions and their unique offerings. It will feature state park adventures, trails to explore, delicious food, family getaways and more.
Senate Approves Funding for New Federal Tourism Chief
It is intended to coordinate government efforts to boost America's share of the global travel market. The office is expected to be especially crucial in leveraging major international events, such as the 2026 soccer World Cup hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
National Park Hidden Gems Set New Visitation Records
America's natural treasures are witnessing an uptick in visits. Recently released statistics from the National Park Service indicate that visits to national parks in 2023 increased by 4% from 2022, with some of the least-visited parks setting new visitation records.
Americans' Driving Miles Hit New High
In 2023, road trips continued their comeback, with Americans driving a record 3.263 trillion miles—a 2.1 percent increase over pre-pandemic levels. Though work commutes contributed to this rise, it shows Americans' love affair with the road is far from over. Looking ahead, the forecasted drop in gas prices in 2024 may fuel that growth even more.
Owner George Manias began shining shoes in 1946, before opening his first shop five years later. More than 70 years on, you'll still find George adding a little shine to people's lives every day, at the age of 93.
George also received a much-deserved Illinois Tourism Legacy Award at this year's Illinois Governor's Conference on Travel & Tourism.
Spring is in full swing, which makes the spring/summer issue of the Enjoy Illinois inspiration guide the perfect read. Highlights include a rundown of summer events and festivals, introductions to outdoor activities from local experts, a collection of outdoor spots to enjoy a drink and a list of ten prime selfie spots around the state.
