CHICAGO – This week Governor JB Pritzker joined the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), elected officials, and industry leaders to announce that Illinois reached its highest-ever hotel revenue figures in FY23 ($308 million) – surpassing the pre-pandemic record in FY19. Additionally, Illinois welcomed 111 million visitors who spent $44 billion in 2022 – representing 14 million additional travelers spending $12 billion more than calendar year 2021. 

“I am proud to announce that in the fiscal year ending June 30, Illinois saw the highest ever hotel revenue numbers. More tourism means millions of new visitors exploring all the amazing things that our state and city have to offer – supporting small businesses and local economies along the way,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Whether you’re a life-long resident of the Land of Lincoln looking to explore your own state, or an out-of-town visitor curious to discover the cool entertainment, award winning culinary delights, or all the great local shopping: we’re here to welcome you.”

“Our highest-ever hospitality revenue is proof that we are truly the middle of everything, and our administration is driven to continue supporting the residents and local economies that make Illinois a world-class destination for tourism,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “Despite disruptions caused by the pandemic, we bounced back better than ever because every visitor can find something to love in Illinois - and we will keep shining a light on all our great state has to offer.”

State hotel revenue collections are provided by the Illinois Department of Revenue. The figure represents all of Illinois' hotels, motels, and lodging establishment’s taxable revenue. Additionally, the annual economic impact of visitors is compiled by Tourism Economics and measures the number of visitors as well as their impact on Illinois’ economy during the calendar year.  

State Hotel Revenues Collected (Measured by Fiscal Year)

FY19	FY20	FY21	FY22	FY23
$296,284,950.38	$249,905,941.23	$93,223,761.71	$226,465,760.39	$307,748,039.42

 

 

 

Visitor Economic Data (Measured by Calendar Year)

Year	Visitors	Visitor Spending
2018	117 million visitors	$44.2 billion
2019	122.8 million visitors (+5% from 2018)	$45.5 billion (+3% from 2018
2020	67.4 million visitors (-45% from 2019)	$23.3 billion (-49% from 2019)
2021	97.1 million visitors (+44% from 2020)	$32.2 billion (+39% from 2020)
2022	111.3 million visitors (+14% from 2021; 91% of 2019 record level)	$44.3 billion (+37% from 2021; 97% of 2019 record level)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visitor spending surged to $44 billion in 2022 – $12 billion over calendar year 2021 and 97% of record 2019 levels, according to data provided by Tourism Economics. As a result of tourist spending and visits in 2022, the overall economic impact – which includes indirect and induced impacts – amounted to a staggering $78 billion, which is a 30% increase from 2021 figures ($60 billion).

“Under Governor Pritzker’s leadership, Illinois has made unprecedented investments in the travel and tourism industry and more visitors are coming to Illinois and supporting our businesses as a result,” said DCEO Director Kristin Richards. “Illinois is the Middle of Everything – a world renowned destination where you can enjoy natural treasures, small town charm and big city amenities or whatever adventure you are looking for. We’re excited to build upon this record-breaking progress as we continue to promote Illinois and support the industry.”

The growth in tourism has also been extremely noticeable for Discover Downstate Illinois, the state certified tourism bureau for 21 counties in the southern portion of the state. More people are looking for things to do in the region, driving record breaking numbers for Discover Downstate Illinois’ social and digital platforms. In FY23, the Discover Downstate Illinois website welcomed 135,000 new visitors, and users of the app grew by 383% from the year before.

“Our website and social media platforms have always been useful tools for folks, but when you see growth like this, it really opens your eyes,” explains Andy Waterman, Communications Director for Discover Downstate Illinois. “Our social channels reached more than 3 million people organically in FY23, and that has resulted in a lot of interest from people to visit different events, eateries, and attractions in our region.”

Several events and attractions in the Discover Downstate Illinois region have recently felt the tourism boom as well. The Du Quoin State Fair welcomed more than 171,000 people to Perry County in FY23, its highest attendance on record. Those visitors accounted for more than $322,000 in revenue for the area. World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison sold out its NASCAR Cup Series race in that time frame, and welcomed thousands of other tourists for INDYCAR, NHRA, Tough Mudder, and even the WonderLights Christmas display.

“We work very closely with our communities to market and promote their events and attractions,” says Christine Orr, Sales & Marketing Director for Discover Downstate Illinois. “Many of our partners have reported very high visitor turnouts for their gatherings over the last year, and that visitor spending is huge for all of our cities and villages.”

“The Airshow and STEM Expo at Scott Airforce Base in FY23 is the perfect example of how tourism is growing in our region,” explains Darlene Chapman, President & Finance Director for Discover Downstate Illinois. “60,000 people came to the area in just one weekend, and that shows you that if people are passionate about an experience, they’ll travel for it – no matter how far it may be. We are looking forward to the Solar Eclipse in FY24 providing an even larger boost for visitor numbers as well.”

In 2022 according to the Tourism Economics Report, state and local tax revenue from visitor spending generated an impressive $4.2 billion. This boost in revenue has invigorated various sectors of the state’s economy while directly supporting 270,600 jobs in the state's tourism and hospitality industry, an increase of 38,300 jobs from 2021.

Illinois has made significant investments in the travel and tourism industry, including $8 million for two funding rounds to support projects along Route 66, $3 million for tourism marketing grants, and $33 million for two rounds of tourism and festivals grants – amounting to nearly 200 awards benefiting communities across the state. Illinois has also distributed hundreds of millions of dollars directly to hotels, restaurants, and other tourism businesses through its Back to Business (B2B) and Business Interruption Grant programs.

Another key component of Illinois tourism’s success is the state’s award-winning “Middle of Everything” tourism campaign. Since it launched in 2022, the campaign has contributed to an additional 2 million trips equaling an additional $1 billion spent in Illinois hotels, restaurants, small businesses, and attractions, according to data from Longwoods International. Additionally, every $1 spent on the campaign equated to $91 in visitor spending while generating $10 in state and local tax revenue for every dollar spent – an enormous return on investment. 

To learn more about Illinois and to plan an Illinois getaway, visit www.EnjoyIllinois.com.

About the Illinois Office of Tourism:

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), Office of Tourism manages industry efforts that result in sustainable and significant economic and quality-of-life benefits for Illinois residents. To learn more, visit EnjoyIllinois.com.