Lake Co. Tourism Hits Record High

From Visit Lake Country:

September 17 2019

2018 Visitor Spending Eclipses Prior Year’s Record High in Lake County

Lake County Ranks in Top Three Counties in Illinois Travel Expenditures

GURNEE, IL – Lake County visitor spending topped $1.43 billion in 2018, which is a 6.7 percent increase and a new record for the county. Tourism-related employment increased by 3 percent from 11,030 to 11,350. Local tax receipts rose to $32.4 million, which is a 5.2 percent increase from 2017’s $30.8 million figures. Visitors generated nearly $90.8 million in state tax receipts in the county – an increase of 11 percent. Lake County (VisitLakeCounty.org) continues to rank as one of the top three counties in Illinois for visitor expenditures behind Cook County and DuPage County.

“We’re excited to see the growth in all of these figures across the board,” said Visit Lake County President Maureen Riedy. “The full picture isn’t captured solely in visitor spending but also in the increase in jobs and opportunities that travel and tourism generates in Lake County. We hope to see a continuing uptick in employment and growth for our communities.”

In addition to the growth experienced in Lake County, the Illinois Office of Tourism reported that 117 million visitors travelled to Illinois in 2018, setting a new record. Visitor spending across the state grew 5.1 percent to $41.7 billion – an increase of $2 million in 2018.

The travel statistics are provided to the Illinois Office of Tourism from DK Shifflet and the U.S. Travel Association.

Visit Lake County is the official destination marketing organization and champion of tourism for Lake County, Illinois. Our alliance is comprised of 200 industry and community partners who recognize the powerful economic impact and visitor spending produced by tourism. Tourism is an essential investment in the well-being of our communities and enhances the public image of Lake County as an attractive place to live and work, supporting the livelihoods of 11,350 workers.

This press release was produced by Visit Lake Country . The views expressed here are the author’s own.