 In his email he wrote: "The economic impact of domestic travel in
Logan County for FY 2011 was $34.36 million, which is up 10.5
percent from FY 2010. This is great news for our county, and I want
to thank the board of directors of the tourism bureau and all our
tourism partners in the county for keeping these numbers on the
rise."
In a news release last week, Gov. Pat Quinn announced that the
Illinois tourism industry generated a record $31.8 billion in 2011,
up 8.4 percent from a year ago. The increase of nearly $2.5 billion
was fueled by a surge in leisure travel. The robust results mark the
industry's return to pre-recession levels and emphasize the
influential role tourism plays in fueling Illinois' economic growth,
creating jobs and providing additional tax revenue to the state.
The number of visitors in Illinois also set a record. The state's
tourism industry hosted more than 93.3 million visitors in 2011, an
increase of 10.2 percent from 2010 and surpassing the previous high
of 91 million visitors in 2006. The visitor increases outpaced the
national average gain of 6.7 percent, according to D.K. Shifflet &
Associates.
"This surge in Illinois tourism and visitors is good news for our
state's economy," said Quinn. "With our world-class cultural
attractions and destinations, it is no surprise that travel to
Illinois continues to increase year after year."
The number of overseas visitors to Illinois rose 6 percent to
1,255,000, the highest level since 2008.
"The tourism industry is a vital part of the Illinois economy,"
added David Vaught, acting director of the Illinois Department of
Commerce and Economic Opportunity. "The state's efforts to promote
tourism have created more jobs for hospitality and travel workers,
while also raising Illinois' profile as an attractive place to visit
and do business."
Illinois travel industry estimates indicate 4,490 jobs were
created in 2011, increasing the number of travel workers in Illinois
to approximately 291,990.
State and local tax revenues from tourism totaled more than $2.3
billion in 2011, an increase of more than $300 million. State tax
revenue rose 20 percent to $1.64 billion, while local tax revenue
rose 5.1 percent to $706 million.
"We continue to develop innovative ways to encourage visitors to
travel to Illinois, building on the growth that points to the
overall recovery of the tourism industry," said Jan Kostner, deputy
director of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity's
Office of Tourism.
During the past five years, the economic impact of tourism in
Illinois has grown by more than $3.5 billion.
The Illinois Office of Tourism directly supports the travel
industry by promoting visitor travel both domestically and
internationally, to help grow the tourism industry throughout the
state. Destination information, trip ideas, the 2012 Illinois Travel
Guide and more can be found at
www.enjoyillinois.com or by calling
1-800-2CONNECT.
___
[to top of second column] |
 2011 Illinois tourism industry by the numbers
Statewide:
-
Illinois hosted more than 93.3 million visitors in 2011, a 10.2
percent increase from 2010 and the highest level on record,
surpassing the previous record of 91 million visitors in 2006.
-
Leisure travel in Illinois was up 11.8 percent, and business
travel was up 4.4 percent.
-
Illinois' tourism industry generated nearly $31.8 billion in
revenue in 2011, an increase of 8.4 percent, or nearly $2.5 billion.
-
State and local tax revenues from tourism totaled more than $2.3
billion in 2011, an increase of more than $300 million.
-
The total tourism tax revenue -- federal, state and local --
saves the average Illinois household more than $1,100 in taxes each
year.
-
Illinois' tourism industry created an additional 4,490 jobs.
Tourism industry jobs increased 1.6 percent to 291,990.
-
The number of overseas visitors to Illinois rose 6 percent to
1,255,000, the highest level since 2008.
-
Visitor volume outside the city of Chicago was up 9.4 percent,
with leisure travel leading the way with an increase of 10.6
percent.
City of Chicago:
-
City of Chicago domestic travel volume was up 11.2 percent, as
the city drew 42.4 million visitors. Business travel was up 5.1
percent, while leisure travel was up 13.5 percent.
-
The city of Chicago hosted 1,199,000 overseas visitors in 2011, a
6 percent increase over 2010 arrivals.
-
Sources: D.K. Shifflet & Associates; U.S. Department of Commerce,
Office of Tourism Industries; U.S. Travel Association
___
See table:
Economic Impact of Domestic Travel on Illinois Counties
(PDF)
[Text from Geoff Ladd,
Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau of
Logan County, and news releases from the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information |
