October Illinois Tourism Monthly

Daniel Thomas, Illinois Office of Tourism (IOT)

What a delight it is to welcome the crisp fall air, and just as the trees begin to present their vibrant new colors, so too does our industry present vibrant new developments.

Firstly, I want to congratulate Choose Chicago and the 575,000 Conde’ Nast Travelers for their wise choice in choosing Chicago as the Best Global City for the 8th consecutive year in a row!

At this favorite time of year for so many, we've released our annual Fall Colors Trip Planner and Fall Color Reports in partnership with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. They're already proving popular as visitors seek out leaf-peeping opportunities throughout the state.

We also launched our fall/winter issue of our Enjoy Illinois inspiration guide at the beautiful Wilds at Red Oak in North Aurora. The guide features a wealth of ideas for making the most of the seasons—you now have four seasonal ideas for getaways in Illinois. Thank you to our partners at Aurora Area CVB, Naturally McHenry County and Explore Elgin Area for their support in making the launch a success and giving us such a beautiful cover.

I’m always proud of our state’s unwavering commitment to inclusivity and diversity. Recently, in light of actions by other states, Governor Pritzker reaffirmed Illinois’ stance as a welcoming destination for all, especially our LGBTQIA+ communities. We've taken a proactive step by prominently featuring LGBTQIA+ travel resources on our EnjoyIllinois.com homepage and sharing video welcome posts on social media.

Our message is clear: In Illinois, all are welcome, 365 days a year. It's about ensuring every visitor feels safe, respected and able to be their authentic selves while exploring all that Illinois has to offer.

We’ve been busy taking advantage of the good weather to capture lots of additional content and recently hosted the Travels with Darley crew as they filmed an episode highlighting the Great River Road. Thanks to our industry partners and CVBs who helped make it happen, and especially to Roger Carmack and John Haas from Great Rivers Country Tourism, who shared their passion and knowledge as they accompanied the crew. This month, Darley and her team are taking to Chicago's Magnificent Mile to showcase its architectural and cultural gems, as well as shopping and dining. And, we are on the road with Matador Network as we film for Real People, Real Stories, Real Outdoors 2.0 in all regions. Watch this space for their official releases!

Speaking of The Magnificent Mile, last month I had the honor of keynoting its annual Fall Tourism Luncheon. In a room of the top leaders in Chicago business and tourism, we had a great discussion about how we all contribute to Illinois' tourism economy and ways we can enhance our allure to global audiences. The Mag Mile district drives half of our state hotel revenues, and we're excited to continue our strategic partnership in sharing just how "magnificent" our Mile is.

This month, we will be promoting Illinois in the UK & Europe markets for Brand USA Travel Week, and our teams will be doing a UK/Scotland Sales and Media Mission. At these events, we promote our state, regions and tourism product to buyers, tour operators, travel agents and media. Our share of the global market continues to grow, and these events are vital to help our growth momentum.

Thank you for your continued partnership in making Illinois shine. We have so much to be proud of, but it’s the people who make it memorable for our visitors. Here's to a colorful, inclusive and prosperous fall season.

As always, please feel free to reach out to me via email.

Yours in tourism partnership,

What Happens When an EV Meets Route 66? Watch the Full Series and Find Out!

As part of the lead-up to Route 66's 100th anniversary in 2026, we partnered with Matador Network and Rivian to produce the Route 66 Rivian Road Trip. All three episodes of this series are now online, following influencers Tonia Hope, Phil Clavert and Brian McIntosh as they travel across Illinois in a customized Rivian R1S electric vehicle.

Watch (and share!) to learn about the strength of our EV-charging network and get some inspiration for your own Route 66 road trip.

Our Newest International Office: New Delhi, India

We're excited to announce the opening of our new international tourism office in New Delhi, India. This joins our offices in the UK, Germany and Mexico, and aims to capitalize on the growing interest from Indian travelers.

India is one of the top five international markets for visitors to Illinois.
Indian visitation to Illinois increased by 55% from 2019 to 2023.

The office will be managed by Sartha Global Marketing LLP, with a focus on promoting luxury experiences, culinary offerings and cultural attractions. It’s another way we’re building on our recent international success, which includes a 39% increase in international visitors between 2022 and 2023.

Illinois Made: Celebrating Our Current Makers

As most of you know, we have a large and diverse community of Illinois Made Makers. We’re always excited to welcome new members to the ranks, but in order to maximize our holiday season support of current Makers, we’ve decided to shift the new class announcement to spring 2025.

We’ll be focusing on spotlighting our existing Makers through the holiday shopping season. We encourage you to get behind them, too. It’s a fantastic way to introduce visitors to our communities and to support our local businesses.

You can visit our website to nominate new Makers at any time.

Global Visa Relaxation Trends Open New Opportunities

The world continues to open up more and more, with recent trends in global visa policies creating new opportunities for our industry worldwide.

Visa restrictions are easing worldwide, with traditional paper visas required for only 47% of travelers in 2023, down from 77% in 2008.
E-visa availability has increased significantly, now accessible to 18% of the world population, up from just 3% in 2013.
The U.S. has reduced median global wait times for first-time tourist visa applicants by 70% in 18 months.
Countries like Thailand, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia are seeing tourism booms after relaxing their visa requirements.

We’re ready to maximize our share of this global market and ensure that once visitors have secured their necessary paperwork, their Illinois planning is exciting and easy.

Why International Visitors Love American Culture

You probably have a good idea of what international visitors love about what you offer—but it never hurts to broaden that perspective.

A recent article from 24/7 Wall St. summarized 5 top things international visitors love about the United States generally:

Our friendly, open attitudes.
Diverse food options and generous portions.
Our willingness to try new things.
Wide range of choices and convenience.
Extravagant holiday celebrations.

Consider how you might be able to maximize your offerings, particularly with those holiday celebrations on our doorstep.

Video Feature: Three Rivers Community Farm

Amy Cloud and Jose Lara, along with children Diego and Lydia, own and operate Three Rivers Community Farm in Elsah. As a community-supported agriculture (CSA) farm, they distribute boxes of fresh, seasonal vegetables to 300 families every week or two and sell the same at their farm stand and local farmers' market.

Learn why the land they've farmed for 18 seasons means so much to them and why it results in such wonderful produce.

Watch the Three Rivers Community Farm Illinois Made video.