State Tourism Coming Off Record-Setting Year

Tourism in Illinois is coming off a “banner” 2014, and a focused team at the Illinois Office of Tourism and regional bureaus are expecting that trend to continue despite added difficulties.

That was the premise behind a keynote speech delivered by Cory Jobe, director of the Illinois Office of Tourism, at the Annual Tourism breakfast hosted by Chicago’s North Shore Convention & Visitors Bureau Tuesday morning at the DoubleTree in Skokie.

“What we have here in Illinois is truly something special,” said Jobe, who shared the state’s 2015 “Find Something More” brand campaign by showing a variety of commercial ads - many of which were humorous depictions of a miniature Abraham Lincoln.

“The launch of this campaign builds on the successes of recent years,” he said. “In 2014, Illinois welcomed more than 500 million visitors, supported more than 300,000 jobs and increased hotel revenues by 7.4 percent.”

With a total economic contribution in the range of $2.6 billion, Illinois was the fifth highest state in terms of generating traveler revenue - even beating out Nevada for the first time in quite awhile.

“Significant financial hurdles” remain ahead, Jobe admits - noting the proposed cuts that come with a revamped budget.

“All the state agencies - including tourism - will have to do more with less,” he said. “But with new challenges also come new opportunities. We need to keep thinking creatively about how to best use our resources.”

The focus will remain on attractive sporting events, meetings and conventions in which the “return on investment is amazing.”

Highlighting the state’s plentiful dining options is also going to continue.

Enjoy Illinois’ Delicious Destinations highlighted 25 restaurants in the state last year, including the Peckish Pig in Evanston. Jobe says a “2.0” version of that list could come in July.

READ MORE: Evanston’s Peckish Pig Restaurant Named ‘Delicious Destination’ By Enjoy Illinois

Locally, Gina Speckman - executive director of Chicago’s North Shore Convention & Visitors Bureau - touched on the area’s best assets.

“Our lakefront and location bordering Chicago makes us a can’t miss destination, but it’s the people that set us apart in general and make our Chicago North Shore shine,” she said during the CVB’s largest yearly gathering, held in conjunction with National Travel & Tourism Week, which is May 2-10 this year.

According to John Callan, chairman of the CVB, the tourism industry has been huge, on average bringing in $6 for every $1 spent on the industry.

“That’s $141 billion to the federal, state and local tax base,” Callan said.

More good news in the announcement that a seventh community will be joining the CVB also came Tuesday. The village of Wheeling is now served by the organization that has already included Evanston, Skokie, Prospect Heights, Glenview, Northbrook and Winnetka.

“Each of these cities has own unique attributes, this is great area with great attractions,” added Callan. “Everything we do here helps promote this area. We work with other CVBs, municipalities, downtown Chicago and Chambers. Gina does a great job putting the North Shore at the forefront of the conversation.”