Tourism Spending on the Rise in Lake County

LAKE COUNTY, IL - Visitor spending in 2015 in Lake County generated nearly $1.3 billion, which is a 0.9 percent increase, while employment increased 2 percent. Tourism related jobs have jumped from 10,190 to 10,530, according to a Visit Lake County press release.

The local tax receipts have risen to $28 million which is a 3.9 percent increase from 2014’s $25.78 million figures. Lake County continues to rank as one of the top three counties in Illinois for visitor expenditures behind Cook and DuPage County.

“We are pleased to see sustained growth in visitor spending in Lake County,” said Visit Lake County President Maureen Riedy. “Leisure and business travel are both vitally important to Lake County and help infuse new dollars into our local economy.”

The Illinois tourism industry’s economic impact continues to grow. The travel expenditures surpassed $37 billion which is a 2.6 percent increase from 2014, according to the news release. This increase created over 10,000 new jobs in 2015. The rise in employment is a 3.5 percent increase from 2014. The jobs and revenue generated by Illinois tourism industry supports local communities and the growth of Illinois’ economy.

“Illinois has something for everyone to enjoy, from world-class museums and galleries, historic sites, a rich cultural arts community to professional sports, outdoor recreation and beautiful vistas,” said Cory M. Jobe, Director of the Office of Tourism. “Our tourism and hospitality industry are Illinois’ greatest champions, drawing not only new visitors, but repeat travelers as well, in order to support and grow our local economies.”

These numbers, provided by the U.S. Travel Association, are preliminary. Final visitor statistics will be available later this year.

Photo via WikiMedia: Originally posted to Flickr by Hendricks Photos at http://flickr.com/photos/86636033@N00/997320652