August Illinois Tourism Monthly

Daniel Thomas, Illinois Office of Tourism (IOT)

In travel and tourism, we're often looking ahead to the next trend, the next opportunity and the next season. So, many of us will be thinking about and planning for fall—and the holiday season. They're just around the corner.

But we're travelers, too! With summer in full swing, I encourage you to take some time to enjoy what the season has to offer. This month, amongst many other highlights, we have the Illinois State Fair, the 95th Bud Billiken Parade and Blues Brothers Con in Joliet. More on those soon.

Another highlight of summer is the U.S. Travel Association's Summer Summit, which I attended last month. The Association is our North Star for advocacy, research and education across the tourism industry, so it's no surprise the event was full of fresh ideas, collaboration and perspective on where we are at in our industry today, compared with the rest of the world.

We have a lot to celebrate, but there is much more to do. Research shows a buoyancy for travel continues, but we have to focus on seeing visitors as they want to be seen. Some takeaways:

The 5-Year Tourism Marketing Plan is no more. Today, it's all about the Fluidity Plan. (Or as I like to I like to call it, the "North Star Plan.")
About a quarter of visitors are starting to care about politics when choosing a destination.
Keep a steady hand at the wheel.
"Wow." "Thank you." "Please." (Words we aim to hear in tourism.)
Be a force for good.
Education matters.
Bleisure & experiences are the future. (More on bleisure later.)

The learning and collaboration continues this month at ESTO. I'm honored to be part of two panels, Dropping Vanity Metrics and Adopting New Industry KPIs and The Evolution of Meetings and Group Travel Marketing.

ESTO is also well-known for the Mercury Travel Awards. I'm proud to share that we're finalists in two categories: Integrated Marketing over $10 Million for the Middle of Everything campaign, and Community Engagement for Illinois Made.

To those of you attending ESTO (and there's still time to register), I look forward to seeing you there. To everyone else, we'll share some of the highlights with you next month.

Democratic National Convention Comes to Illinois This Month

One of the biggest events on America's political calendar arrives in Illinois this month. The 2024 Democratic National Convention will take place in Chicago August 19–22 and it's expected to bring as many as 50,000 visitors, with many millions more watching on television.

Enjoy Illinois will be welcoming attendees with a branded magazine wrap, highlighting our Illinois Made program and encouraging a return visit to our great state. We will also be welcoming and inviting them—and all who are watching from further afield—to “Enjoy Illinois” with a custom exterior façade projection on the Auditorium Theatre, where The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will be broadcast during the convention.

Grants: Two New NOFOs Available for Application

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is excited to announce two new grants for certified Illinois convention & visitors bureaus.

International Tourism Grant Program: Grants to certified CVBs outside the City of Chicago to assist with international marketing efforts in markets identified by the Office of Tourism for its FY 25 marketing plan. Learn more & apply.
Route 66 Grant Program: Grants to certified CVBs for the development of tourism, education, preservation and promotion of the 100th anniversary of Route 66 in 2026. Learn more & apply.

They're Getting the Band Back Together: Blues Brothers Con Returns

The highly anticipated Blues Brothers Con is set to return to Old Joliet Prison on August 17, following the inaugural event in 2022. Dan Aykroyd and Jim Belushi will take to the stage, reprising their iconic roles as Elwood and Brother Zee Blues, alongside some of the greatest blues acts in the country.

This year's festival is dedicated to the late Judy Belushi Pisano, widow of John Belushi and a key figure in preserving the Blues Brothers' legacy. The event will transform the historic 16-acre prison into a joyous celebration of blues music and the film's legacy.

It's Illinois State Fair Time

The Illinois State Fair, a beloved tradition since 1953, returns to Springfield's Illinois State Fairgrounds for 10 days of family-friendly excitement and entertainment from August 8 to 18. Highlights include performances by Keith Urban, Mötley Crüe, the Jonas Brothers, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Lil Wayne, along with rides, free entertainment, and the thrilling USAC Bettenhausen 100. We've got your full guide on the Enjoy Illinois website.

Celebrating the 95th Annual Bud Billiken Parade

The Bud Billiken® Parade returns to Bronzeville on August 10th for its 95th anniversary. Every summer since 1929, “The Bud” has united African Americans throughout Chicago in music, dance, food and laughter, as part of the second largest parade in the United States after the Rose Bowl.

This is the third year the Illinois Office of Tourism has sponsored the parade. Look out for our float showcasing the stunning natural beauty and outdoor adventures of our state.

Tourism Exchange USA: Webinars for Suppliers/Attractions

Join us for an informational webinar detailing how to get connected to Tourism Exchange USA as a supplier. This follows on from our webinars last month for CVBs and tourism industry associations. (Recording here.)

Who should attend? Lodging properties (local and regional management and sales departments), attractions, events and exhibitions, ticketed tours, as well as ticketed food and beverage experiences. Registration is FREE!

Register for ESTO: Exclusive Member Rate Offer for Illinois DMOs

ESTO (Educational Seminar for Tourism Organizations) is coming up on August 11-13 in Columbus, Ohio, and now's the time to register. This year's event aims to "Ignite Your Spark" to grow, learn, and connect, with a range of exciting speakers and sessions.

Given our proximity to Columbus, USTA wants to make this educational opportunity available to all DMOs across Illinois. They're generously extending an offer for registration at the U.S. Travel member rate, regardless of membership status. This will allow Illinois destinations an opportunity to affordably participate in ESTO this year by saving on registration fees.

If you are representing an Illinois DMO and would like to register at the discounted rate, visit the ESTO website and use the promo code ESTOxMR24 to receive the member rate (even as a non-member).

Gramping: A New Way to Talk About an Old Tradition

First, there was camping. Then, glamping. And now: gramping. It's a new word for an old tradition. Gramping refers to camping trips taken by grandparents and grandchildren so the two generations can have some quality time together in nature, while also giving parents a break from childcare.

GoodToKnow highlights gramping as another way to encourage travel in a way that can build a really strong emotional connection with a destination. It doesn't require a lot of work to promote, either. Anything aimed at families can work for gramping with just a little adjustment.

The Latest Travel Trends and Traveler Types

Gramping isn't the only trend making news this month, with Travel Pulse discussing five more. In addition to the classic staycation, there's:

Sportscations: Heading somewhere for a sporting event, but taking extra time to visit and enjoy what else the destination offers.
Buddymoons: A honeymoon where the newlywed couple invites family and friends as well, taking advantage of bulk or discount rates.
Bleisure vacations: Combining a business trip with a vacation.
Sleep-cations: Going somewhere to just rest and recharge, without taking part in sightseeing or other leisure activities. Some hotels have adapted to this, including things like sleep monitoring and therapies.

Spain's Tourism Office Talks Sustainable Tourism

Sustainable tourism must go beyond its traditional scope to include comprehensive impact assessments and global information-sharing and collaboration. That's the message from the director general of Spain's national tourism office, Miguel Sanz Castedo, in an interview with Skift.

Castedo talks about the work of a UN Tourism statistics group working to establish a measurement framework, his agency's work to understand tourism's impact on local communities, the need to support small- and medium-sized businesses, and how sustainable tourism doesn't just mean forests and greenery.

Summer's not over yet, and the spring/summer issue of the Enjoy Illinois inspiration guide can help you make the most of what remains. Explore summer festivals, plan a long weekend in Chicago or try new outdoor adventures with the guidance of experienced locals.

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The fall/winter edition of the magazine will be releasing in early September.

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For bulk orders, please contact Brad.Strauss@illinois.gov.