Chicago Sets Tourism Records In First Months Of 2018

CHICAGO, IL — Chicago set new tourism records in the first two months of 2018, the city reported. Mayor Rahm Emanuel said hotel demand was up by 12.5 percent. Based on the number of hotel room nights sold that were associated with business events, the city said business visitor growth was up by more than 32 percent.

Many big conventions and meetings were held over the past few months, the city said. The city held more business events in the first months of 2018 than it did during the same time period in previous years.

There was also a 5.9 percent increase in leisure visitors, which follows the 2017 trend of steady tourism growth. About 55 million people visited Chicago in 2017, leading to an 11.3 percent increase in hotel revenue per room.

Photo by Amber Fisher