May Illinois Tourism Monthly

Daniel Thomas, Illinois Office of Tourism (IOT)

We're excited to have kicked off our spring/summer marketing, which takes our Middle of Everything campaign to the next level. This time we're shining a light on more of our great destinations around the state. Our efforts include a new regional targeting strategy, starting with TV spots running in 22 regional and fly markets and nationally on cable. The campaign is also running on social media and across out-of-home placements. Our focus is on showcasing the incredible variety of activities on offer throughout the state. Check out the new spots on our YouTube channel.

As the weather starts to heat up, so do our FAM trips! Over the past few weeks, we've hosted five trade FAMs (familiarization trips). They've included more than 50 travel agents from top tour operator companies in Canada, Germany, Italy and the UK, showcasing our urban areas, Route 66, small towns and unique locations across Illinois. The Italy FAM also saw the inaugural non-stop flight from Rome to Chicago via ITA Airways—an exciting new route that brings European travelers closer than ever.

Last week I attended the Illinois Destination Association's Spring Meeting, where I spoke about our latest tools, resources and campaigns, as well as upcoming opportunities and our new Illinois Made videos. While in the Quad Cities, I also had the privilege of joining Morgan Ottier on Quad Cities Live KWQC TV6 News to discuss all the wonderful summer road trip options throughout Illinois.

Then this week, I had the pleasure of attending the Ateema Hospitality & Tourism Summit in Chicago. While there, I facilitated an educational seminar about the future of tourism in Illinois and took part in a keynote panel on the state of hospitality, meetings & events and tourism in Chicago. This is the event's 23rd year, and if the attendees are any indication, the industry has a lot to feel good about.

The events continue this weekend as we head to Los Angeles for the U.S. Travel Association's IPW 2024. And we're certainly making the most of that opportunity! We have four full books with 168 appointments with international and domestic buyers in key markets, including Germany, Mexico, the UK and more. We also have a full schedule of 40 media appointments lined up for all our priority markets. And we're teaming up with Choose Chicago for an exciting 3-day activation with music, Route 66 photo ops and refreshments from our Illinois Made makers.

We're looking forward to this year's IPW experience but we already know next year will be even more special: it's being held in Chicago! We hope you're as excited as we are—how great does our booth rendering look?

Also on the horizon are media missions in Germany and the UK coming up in June. It's a busy time and I'm incredibly optimistic about the future of our industry. Thank you for your continued support.

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

Yours in tourism partnership,

Solar Eclipse: By the Numbers

Last month, people across Southern Illinois were treated to a rare sight: a total solar eclipse. You probably know what happened in the sky. Now here are some highlights of what happened on the ground, as visitors from around the state, the country and the world descended on the region.

30,000 people visited Saluki Stadium and Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
More than 11,000 visited Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge. Visitors were from 32 states and several other countries.
301 aircraft from 29 states and the United Kingdom flew into Southern Illinois Airport, bringing more than 2,000 passengers. This was the most record-breaking day in the airport's 74-year history!
1,100 people from 29+ states visited the Bald Knob Cross of Peace.
4,300 visitors passed through Giant City Lodge, devouring 3,000 lbs of chicken.
1,000 visitors from nine countries were served Sunday and Monday at 17th Street BBQ.
Diners from 18 states (and Australia!) enjoyed the cuisine at Andresen's Cafe in Johnston City.
350+ guests attended the SIU Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center.
As for Shawnee National Forest... we can only say there were thousands.

The media coverage was also significant.

109 total stories.
426,793,827 impressions.
$2,374,617 in publicity value.
Earned coverage included Chicago, statewide, regional and national.

Congratulations and thanks to all those who made the eclipse such a great experience for visitors.

Sports Illinois Huddle

This year's Sports Illinois Huddle is almost here! The event is coming to Wintrust Sports Complex in Bedford Park, May 13-15—and it's shaping up to be a great one.

The Huddle is an annual tradeshow hosted by the Illinois Office of Tourism and the Illinois Destination Association. It’s designed to recruit and attract more amateur sporting events to our state as we continue to showcase Illinois as a leader in the sports tourism industry. Find more information and register on the Sports Illinois Huddle website.

Sports Events & Tourism Association Symposium 2024

Speaking of sports, last month the Sports Events & Tourism Association (ETA) had its annual symposium in Portland, Oregon, and Illinois put on a fantastic show.

Sports ETA's 2023 State of the Industry Report revealed Illinois was the U.S. state with the fifth-highest economic impact from sports tourism in 2023, ahead of Ohio, New York and Tennessee. The report also revealed sports traveler numbers hit a new high of 204.9 million in 2023.

Sports Illinois brought a unique experience to the event: the Sports Illinois Llama Lounge, featuring llama event professionals, Prince and Panda.

Tourism Exchange Partnership: A New Opportunity

As first mentioned in February, the Illinois Office of Tourism is excited to be partnering with Tourism Exchange USA, a B2B one-stop digital marketplace where suppliers (accommodations, tours, attractions) can manage live availability, pricing and bookings across multiple distribution channels.

A new landing page on EnjoyIllinois.com has more info on how destinations and attractions throughout Illinois can get involved. More info to come!

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Champaign County African American Heritage Trail Celebrate Partnership

In April, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign held an event to celebrate its partnership with the Champaign County African American Heritage Trail.

The Trail is a community-based project facilitated by the Experience Champaign-Urbana Foundation. It has collaborated with university staff over the past four years to research, design and install seven markers around campus that help tell the story of African American history at the university and in the community. You can explore the trail with the aid of two recently installed interpretive signs. Learn more at the Champaign County African American Heritage Trail website.

Travel Trends for Summer 2024

As we gear up for the summer travel season, travelers are doing the same. Skift highlights key trends shaping their plans:

Undecided Travelers: As of March, about half of Skyscanner's visitors were still unsure about their summer destinations or departure dates.
Digital Nomadism: Traveling while working continues to rise in popularity—not just among solo travelers.
Social Connections: Many solo travelers are looking to meet others during their journeys.
Personalized Experiences: An increasing number of travelers are opting for private tours and independent experiences.
Vacation Rentals: While hotels remain the top accommodation choice, vacation rentals are gaining popularity.
Coolcations: We've all heard of people seeking warmer climates in winter, but a new trend has people heading to cooler climates to escape the summer heat.
Dollar Dread: The strong dollar has caused a slight 4% decline in U.S. vacation interest from travelers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Conversely, Americans are planning trips to destinations where their money stretches further.
Destination Dupes: Travelers are discovering 'destination dupes'—less crowded and costly locations that offer a similar vibe to more popular destinations.

United Airlines Improves Flight Experience for Wheelchair Users

United Airlines has announced a number of ways it's supporting wheelchair users to fly with greater confidence and comfort. These include a digital sizing tool that helps customers identify flights that can best accommodate their mobility devices, a pilot program to better support customers if their wheelchair is damaged or delayed, and new processes to improve efficiency and certainty when loading wheelchairs.

Video Feature: Dangela's Dumplings

Using traditional Northern Chinese methods, Dangela’s Dumplings in Libertyville makes authentic, handmade dumplings from scratch.

They use fresh ingredients for every order and have different filling options to cater to the individual customer’s tastes, including chicken, pork, beef and shrimp. Also offered are vegetarian/vegan options such as zucchini and tofu with vegetables.

Angela Xu's recipes have been passed down from generation to generation. First from her grandmother to Angela's mom, and now on to Angela. Discover her story here.

Our Illinois Made Mother's Day Gift Guide has also been updated with a variety of new gifts for 2024. Find something unique here.

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.

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