Travel Tuesday, October 23

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again – fall is just incredible. It’s not just the pretty colors. It’s the feeling in the air. Even though the temperatures continue to dip, the warmth in people continues to rise. And while we know even colder temperatures are coming, it’s nice to just take a moment to truly embrace one of the best seasons here in Illinois.

That’s exactly what I did last week. I was honored to be on the maiden voyage of the Odyssey Chicago River, whose new glass topped boat will give people a chance to get close to Chicago’s incredible architecture year-round. It was also wonderful to spend some time with the Visit Galena team. We had beautiful weather, the perfect setting to discuss international tourism and how we can get more travelers from overseas into Illinois.

Yesterday, I was in Springfield delivering keynote remarks at the monthly ISAE luncheon. I always love going to our state capitol and seeing history come alive. At the luncheon, I shared some impressive numbers about the economic impact of tourism. So far, we can attribute more than $7 million in hotel revenue to our fall campaign, and it’s still going strong.

From Springfield, I continued on to Decatur, a classic midwestern city filled with history and charm. I love this local’s take on the place he calls home. Today, I am touring Shelbyville, a quaint town with charming architecture. Did you know that the inventor of the dishwasher hails from Shelbyville? Now that’s a great story. Speaking of stories, EnjoyIllinois.com is filled with all sorts of amazing stories about our state’s history. We’re adding new ones all the time, so be sure to check them out.

Your friend in Illinois Tourism,

Group travel generates an economic impact of $2.58 billion to the state of Illinois, according to the American Bus Association. To further encourage group travel, we are delighted to partner with Premier Travel Media on the second annual Illinois Group Tour Planner. Through creative editorial stories and sample itineraries, this guide influences decision-makers in the tour & travel industry to develop new Illinois tour products.

The guide will be mailed with the April 2019 Leisure Group Travel, reaching 20,000 subscribers including tour operators, bank travel clubs, senior, affinity and religious groups. If you're interested in featuring your attraction in the guide, reserve your space by February 15, 2019.

It’s National Magic Week! There’s no better way to celebrate than with a performance by award-winning magician and mentalist, Dennis Watkins. He performs five shows weekly at The Magic Parlour inside the legendary Palmer House Hilton. And this week, he has a special show in store to celebrate National Magic Week. On Friday, Watkins will perform an original adaptation of magic’s most intriguing spiritual mystery, the Spirit Cabinet. In this exclusive, one-time performance, Watkins will call upon ghosts to make themselves known to the gathered crowd, inspiring wonder as guests participate in revealing the playful connections to the beyond.

Nothing says fall in Illinois like fresh apple cider. And nothing says fall fun like hard cider. Brad Genung adds his spin to an Illinois tradition with his own brand of hand-crafted hard cider, Apple Knocker Hard Cider. An Illinois-based cider house with craft brewing culture at heart, Apple Knocker combines their expertise in modern, small-lot wine production with the creativity of craft beer techniques and the legacy of century-old local orchards. This is how they produce a new breed of American ciders, all made using as many local apples as possible.

Taste the difference for yourself. There’s a seasonal lineup of Apple Knocker Hard Cider on tap in the tasting room at Owl Creek Vineyard, located on the scenic Shawnee Hills Wine Trail.

Learn about more Illinois artisans at Illinois Made

Millennials are most
socially-conscious travelers
A survey of 2,000 North American travelers made it clear that there’s a distinct difference in priorities between millennials and older generations. Travelers under 30 consider the ethical impact of a trip more than any other age demographic. Plus, they also expect companies to offer socially-conscious and sustainable travel options. Millennials are also much more likely to travel if they know it's going to be a truly local, immersive experience. For travel professionals, this means it's more important than ever to highlight ways travelers can experience local culture.

Business travelers need more sleep
Business travel burnout is real, and people who are constantly traveling for work have a high risk of negative health effects. And ultimately, these effects could lead them to quitting their job. New research shows that the quality of a trip — from the airplane to the hotel to the food — correlates strongly with whether a business trip is deemed successful. This is an interesting look at the business traveler and gives some cues as to how the tourism industry can better serve this audience.

Brookfield’s annual Halloween celebration is back. "Boo! at the Zoo" is a howlin’ good time for ghosts and goblins of all ages. Come in costume to trick or treat, make Halloween crafts, enjoy seasonal treats and more. The zoo will feed pumpkins to animals like grizzly bears and rhinos, plus you can see pumpkins smashed on the hour. Get lost in the 7,000-square-foot corn maze and take a haunted hayride. Plus, there will be special chats about creepy zoo critters like bats, spiders, scorpions and wolves.