Travel Tuesday, November 13

I hope you all had a good Veterans Day. On behalf of the Illinois Office of Tourism, let me say thank you to those who have served to defend our nation, as well as the organizations and communities all over Illinois who have organized events and parades to honor our nation's veterans.

As I mentioned last week, our team was recently in London for two events that will help us drive travel to Illinois from a key international market. At the Regent Street Motor Show, crowds spent a sunny Saturday admiring a range of vintage and modern cars along a mile-long stretch of London's famed Regent Street. But it was Illinois' 300-mile stretch of Route 66 that stole the show. As title sponsors of the event, we were on hand to inspire visitors from the UK to take a trip to Illinois to see the legendary Mother Road for themselves. Thank you to our partners at Heritage Corridor, Rivers & Routes, and Visit Springfield for joining IOT at the Regent Street Motor Show.

Last week was also the World Trade Market in London, where IOT and our partners — including Choose Chicago, Chicago North Shore, Great Rivers Country, Heritage Corridor, Rivers & Routes, Rockford CVB, and Visit Springfield — met with buyers to create business leads to help bring international travelers to Illinois. At IOT, we secured more than 30 appointments with potential buyers while welcoming attendees to a booth that dazzled with inspiring images from Illinois — and even a virtual-reality station so visitors could see what it was like to experience some of the state's most amazing sites up close. (More on that in our Illinois Spotlight below.)

Congratulations are in order for Ken Price, Historian and Director of Public Relations for The Palmer House in Chicago. On November 1, Historic Hotels of America — the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation for recognizing and celebrating the finest historic hotels — presented Ken with the 2018 Historic Hotels of America Lifetime Achievement Award.

A member of the Palmer House team for over 36 years, Ken is also a lifelong Chicagoan, giving him both the experience and the passion to maintaining the history of the majestic Palmer House. Over the course of his career, Ken led more than 32,000 guests on tours through The Palmer House's rich history as it relates to Chicago and the nation. Congratulations, Ken — and thank you for your contributions to keeping a slice of Chicago history in the minds of generations to come.

Ever wonder how our past presidents celebrated Christmas? Now you can find out. On November 16, a new exhibit will open at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum that will showcase how four different presidents celebrated the holidays. "Holidays at the White House: A Presidential Christmas" features decorations, photographs and gifts from the administrations of Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and George H. W. Bush. The exhibit runs through January 6 and entrance is included with regular admission to the museum.

Last week at the World Trade Market in London, we unveiled our new Virtual Reality program that will allow media, influencers, trade professionals and more to "experience" the amazingness of Illinois before they ever step foot on our soil. This is an innovative way to showcase Illinois as a premier, top tier destination – especially to our international audience. At our WTM booth, media got to be the first to test out the technology and "see" for themselves what Illinois has to offer.

Chicago's world famous Christkindlmarket officially opens on November 16. The four week open air market is a holiday tradition dating back to 1966. Stop in this winter wonderland to browse international handmade treasures like cuckoo clocks, hand blown ornaments, and all sorts of unique, handcrafted gifts and candied treats. Of course, a trip to the market wouldn't be complete without sampling some authentic German delicacies. Warm up with a boot of Glühwein, a traditional German holiday market hot spiced wine, or try savory favorites like potato pancakes, brats and goulash.

Registration is underway for the state's premier industry event, the Illinois Governor's Conference on Travel & Tourism. It returns to Chicago February 4–6, 2019 and will gather professionals from across Illinois and around the country at the Palmer House Hilton to network and learn from travel and tourism's best and brightest. General sessions speakers include Jeff Fromm from Millennial Marketing, who will share insights on marketing to Gen Z. Click the link to register below, or visit the website for information on sponsoring the event.

With the holiday shopping season approaching, the Illinois Office of Tourism released its annual Illinois Made holiday gift guide featuring products from small businesses throughout the state.. The list features something for everyone, all from local artisans who help make Illinois an amazing destination for visitors and locals.

For the Foodie: chocolates from Ethereal Confections, direct-trade coffee from Crown Brew Coffee, and farmstead cheeses from Marcoot Jersey Creamery

For the Active Adventurer: hand-welded bikes from Heritage Bicycles and handcrafted bats from Dinger Bats

For the Vino Connoisseur: Wine Club membership to Galena Cellars and wines from Danenberger Family Vineyard

For the Craft Enthusiast: handcrafted pieces from Mississippi Mud Pottery, T-shirts from Rockford Art Deli, and custom-made tables from Whiskey City Design

For the "Spirited": award-winning gin and whiskey from FEW Spirits and beers from the largest independent brewery in Illinois, Revolution Brewing

Learn more about Illinois Made makers at Illinois Made

As the events sector booms, events face big changes
As the meetings and events sector enjoys a boom period, that means demand is on the rise — which means event planners have to deal with new financial pressures such as lower commissions. According to a poll conducted by American Express Meetings & Events, how planners adapt to this new reality — having to do more with less — can mean big changes in the way they design events. Among the possible changes: events become smaller or incorporate new technologies, such as virtual reality, to efficiently enhance the experience.

Expedia Group's expected 2019 travel trends
The tourism industry is always evolving, and Expedia Group Media Solutions is on top of the trends. Here are five trends that they expect will shape tourism in 2019: More travelers will plan their trips around food-based activities. Travelers will connect with locals in order to experience insider tours. Pop culture will inspire travel more than ever before. People will continue to blend business and leisure when planning trips. And travelers will turn to technology such as virtual tours to enhance their experience.