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Chicago sees record tourism numbers in first half of 2023, but slower years ahead

By Chris Tye

August 2, 2023 / 4:25 PM CDT / CBS Chicago

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Lollapalooza returns to Grant Park on Thursday, and as music fans flock to Chicago, the city is already having a banner year for visitors, but a slight slowdown might soon be coming.

NASCAR, Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, and small armies of conventioneers that are back have helped Chicago shine in a post-COVID spotlight.

Like a mega-watt musician, Chicago is topping the charts this summer, with the city ranking the #1 American city for meetings and events volume for the months of April, May, and June, according to hospitality industry tracker Knowland.

"So that means we're beating Las Vegas, Orlando, all our major competitors; and that's just really encouraging," said Lynn Osmond, president of Choose Chicago, the city's tourism agency.

From January to June, hotel revenue in Chicago hit $1.12 billion, up 24% from last year, and 102% from pre-pandemic 2019, setting a new record for the city.

Over that period, Chicago's hotel tax generated $62 million in revenue, also a record breaker.

But the artists who sell records aren't the only ones fueling this surge in visitors. At the same time Swifties were jamming at Solider Field, approximately 44,000 oncologists were in Chicago for an annual conference at McCormick Place.

"So it was pretty interesting seeing the Swifties and the oncologists mix around Soldier Field or throughout the city," Osmond said.

And this is before Lollapalooza begins the first festival of a new 10-year commitment to Chicago.

"The cumulative effect is over $2 billion in economic activity, based just on Lollapalooza being in Chicago," said Matt Patton, Ph.D., executive vice president of Angelou Economics.

Patton studied Lollapalooza's impact on Chicago over the last 12 years.

"Over that same period of time, we looked at over 22,000 jobs being created or supported because of Lollapalooza," he said.

But for a city firing on all entertainment cylinders, expect a gear shift and a slower few years ahead.

Since Illinois was largely shut down during COVID, while other states remained open, some conferences looking to secure 2025 and 2026 venues passed on Chicago.

"In Chicago, we'll see a few softer years coming up ahead in 2025-26, because we were closed and didn't have staff when other states like Las Vegas and Florida were still open and selling," Osmond said

Will NASCAR come back to Chicago next year for a second run of its first-ever street race?

The city and NASCAR have a contract to bring the race back to Grant Park next year, but both sides have the option to terminate the agreement within 180 days after the end of this year's race. Mayor Brandon Johnson, who inherited the NASCAR deal from predecessor Lori Lightfoot, has said he will evaluate the impact of the event, and on Wednesday said he has yet to make a decision on the future of NASCAR in Chicago.

As for Lollapalooza, where 15,000 more people are expected this year than last, stages are being set, and many street closures have begun in and around the South Loop, with 115,000 people expected for each day of the festival Thursday through Sunday.

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Chris Tye is a reporter and fill-in anchor at CBS2 Chicago.

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Economic Impact of Tourism in Illinois

The Illinois Governor’s Conference on Travel & Tourism is an annual reminder of the economic impact of tourism for Illinois. Illinois’ tourism and hospitality industry is a major contributor to the state’s economy. The efforts of the Illinois Office of Tourism continue to drive our state’s recovery and position Illinois for future growth and success by stimulating our economy, boosting tax revenues, and putting people back to work. Travelers can have a huge economic impact. They dine in our world-class local restaurants, stay in our charming hotels and bed and breakfasts, and support our unique small businesses — which are truly the backbone of our economy.

2022-2023 Economic Impact of Illinois Tourism

As the tourism industry continues to recover from the effects of COVID-19, Illinois is seeing very positive growth back towards pre-pandemic numbers. A highlight of this rebound was a record-breaking $308 million in hotel revenue for FY23.

The 111 million visitors (an increase of 14 million) during this period created a total economic impact of $78 billion (an increase of $12 billion).

This visitor spending generated $4.3 billion in state and local tax revenue. Beyond the fiscal impact, the tourism industry creates a significant demand for jobs. In 2022, the tourism & hospitality industry generated over 270,000 , an increase of 38,300 over the previous year.

To drive continued growth, the Illinois Office of Tourism is always seeking new ways to expand its marketing efforts and position the state as a “must-visit” for both domestic and international travelers. Focusing on domestic markets, the   Middle of Everything campaign positions Illinois as a welcoming “middle” of the country with world-class cuisine, architecture, history, and outdoor adventures. During the Illinois Governor’s Conference, IOT will share more on recent marketing efforts and key focuses for the year ahead.

In addition to integrated creative campaigns, IOT champions “always-on” initiatives to support economic growth and tourism throughout the state. These activities include the award-winning Illinois Made program. This initiative utilizes the Enjoy Illinois platform to promote worthy Illinois businesses and encourage both locals and visitors to support the diverse and talented people that make Illinois such a special place.

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MONTHLY INSIGHTS March 04, 2024

U.S. Travel has temporarily paused our monthly data newsletter, however, the latest travel data is still available via the U.S. Travel Insights Dashboard . This dashboard is updated each month (member login required).

The U.S. Travel Insights Dashboard , developed in collaboration with Tourism Economics, is supported by more than 20 data sources. The dashboard is the most comprehensive and centralized source for high-frequency intelligence on the U.S. travel industry, tracking industry performance, travel volumes and predictive indicators of recovery including air and lodging forecasts, DMO website traffic, convention and group trends, travel spending and losses, traveler sentiment, among others to measure the health of the industry.

Key Highlights January 2024:

• Travel appetite started the year on a softer note, but overall growth continued. Air passenger growth remained positive, up 6% versus the prior year but lower than the double-digit growth seen through 2023. Foreign visits remained strong, up 24% YoY.
• Hotel room demand continued a trend of slight contraction falling 1% versus the prior year, while short-term rental demand grew 1%, a lower rate than 2023.
• A particular bright spot was that group room demand within the top 25 markets displayed solid growth of 9% relative to the prior year.
• The outlook for the economy remains fairly optimistic due to the strength of the labor market, looser financial conditions and healthy household and nonfinancial corporate balance sheets. This has filtered through to slightly higher consumer sentiment in February.
• Sentiment is also growing for upcoming leisure travel in 2024. The share of travelers reporting having travel plans within the next six months increased to 93% in January from 92% in December, according to Longwoods International’s monthly survey.
• Travel price inflation (TPI) fell slightly in January as a result of falling transportation prices. Sticky services inflation should see relief from decelerating wage growth. However, upside risks stem from rising healthcare costs, supply chain disruptions and slowing labor supply. Source: U.S. Travel Association and Tourism Economics

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Tourism is back to pre-pandemic levels, but challenges remain.

• High-income economies in Europe and Asia-Pacific continue to lead the World Economic Forum Travel and Tourism Index, with the United States, Spain and Japan topping the rankings again.
• Despite post-pandemic growth, the global tourism sector still faces complex challenges, with recovery varied by region; only marginal overall score improvements since the 2021 edition.
• Developing economies are making strides – who account for 52 out of 71 economies improving since 2019 – but significant investment is needed to bridge gaps and increase market share.
• Read the report here .

New York, USA, 21 May 2024 – International tourist arrivals and the travel and tourism sector’s contribution to global GDP are expected to return to pre-pandemic levels this year, driven by the lifting of COVID-19-related travel restrictions and strong pent-up demand, as per the new World Economic Forum travel and tourism study, released today.

Topping the 2024 list of economies are the United States, Spain, Japan, France and Australia. The Middle East had the highest recovery rates in international tourist arrivals (20% above the 2019 level), while Europe, Africa and the Americas all showed a strong recovery of around 90% in 2023.

These are some of the top findings of the Travel & Tourism Development Index 2024 (TTDI) , a biennial report published in collaboration with the University of Surrey, which analyses the travel and tourism sectors of 119 countries around a range of factors and policies.

“This year marks a turning point for the travel and tourism sector, which we know has the capacity to unlock growth and serve communities through economic and social transformation,” said Francisco Betti, Head of the Global Industries team at the World Economic Forum. “The TTDI offers a forward-looking window into the current and future state of travel and tourism for leaders to navigate the latest trends in this complex sector and sustainably unlock its potential for communities and countries across the world.”

Post-pandemic recovery

The global tourism industry is expected to recover from the lows of the COVID-19 pandemic and surpass the levels seen before the crisis. This is largely being driven by a significant increase in demand worldwide, which has coincided with more available flights, better international openness, and increased interest and investment in natural and cultural attractions.

However, the global recovery has been mixed. While 71 of the 119 ranked economies increased their scores since 2019, the average index score is just 0.7% above pre-pandemic levels.

Although the sector has moved past the shock of the global health crisis, it continues to deal with other external challenges, from growing macroeconomic, geopolitical and environmental risks, to increased scrutiny of its sustainability practices and the impact of new digital technologies, such as big data and artificial intelligence. In addition, labour shortages are ongoing, and air route capacity, capital investment, productivity and other sector supply factors have not kept up with the increase in demand. This imbalance, worsened by global inflation, has increased prices and service issues.

TTDI 2024 highlights Out of the top 30 index scorers in 2024, 26 are high-income economies, 19 are based in Europe, seven are in Asia-Pacific, three are in the Americas and one (the United Arab Emirates) is in the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA). The top 10 countries in the 2024 edition are the United States, Spain, Japan, France, Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom, China, Italy and Switzerland.

The results highlight that high-income economies generally continue to have more favourable conditions for travel and tourism development. This is helped by conducive business environments, dynamic labour markets, open travel policies, strong transport and tourism infrastructure, and well-developed natural, cultural and non-leisure attractions.

Nevertheless, developing countries have seen some of the greatest improvements in recent years. Among the upper-middle-income economies, China has cemented its ranking in the top 10; major emerging travel and tourism destinations of Indonesia, Brazil and Türkiye have joined China in the top quartile of the rankings. More broadly, low- to upper-middle-income economies account for over 70% of countries that have improved their scores since 2019, while MENA and sub-Saharan Africa are among the most improved regions. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are the only high-income economies to rank among the top 10 most improved economies between 2019 and 2024.

Despite these strides, the TTDI warns that significant investment is needed to close gaps in enabling conditions and market share between developing and high-income countries. One possible pathway to help achieve this would be sustainably leveraging natural and cultural assets – which are less correlated with country income level than other factors – and can offer developing economies an opportunity for tourism-led economic development.

“It’s essential to bridge the divide between differing economies’ ability to build a strong environment for their travel and tourism sector to thrive,” said Iis Tussyadiah, Professor and Head of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of Surrey. “The sector has big potential to foster prosperity and mitigate global risks, but that potential can only be fully realized through a strategic and inclusive approach.”

Mitigating future global challenges

According to the World Economic Forum’s 2024 Global Risks Report, the travel and tourism sector faces various complex risks , including geopolitical uncertainties, economic fluctuations, inflation and extreme weather. Balancing growth with sustainability also remains a major problem, due to high seasonality, overcrowding, and a likely return of pre-pandemic emissions levels. The report also analyses persistent concerns about equity and inclusion. While the tourism sector offers a major source of relatively high-wage jobs, particularly in developing countries, gender parity remains a major issue for regions such as MENA and South Asia.

Despite these challenges, the sector can play a significant role in addressing them. To achieve this, decision-makers should prioritize actions such as leveraging tourism for nature conservation efforts; investing in skilled, inclusive and resilient workforces; strategically managing visitor behaviour and infrastructure development; encouraging cultural exchange between visitors and local communities; and using the sector to bridge the digital divide, among other policies.

If managed strategically, the travel and tourism sector – which has historically represented 10% of global GDP and employment – has the potential to emerge as a key contributor to the well-being and prosperity of communities worldwide.

About the Travel and Tourism Development Index 2024

The 2024 edition of the TTDI includes several improvements based on newly available data and recently developed indicators on the environmental and social impact of travel and tourism. The changes made to the 2024 Index limit its comparability to the previously published TTDI 2021. This year's report includes recalculated 2019 and 2021 results, using new adjustments. TTDI 2024 reflects the latest available data at the time of collection – end of 2023. The TTDI is part of the Forum’s broader work with industry communities actively working to build a better future enabled by sustainable, inclusive, and resilient industry ecosystems.

Notes to editors

Read the Forum Agenda also in Spanish | Mandarin | Japanese Learn about the Forum’s impact Check out the Forum’s Strategic Intelligence Platform and Transformation Maps Follow the Forum on social media: @wef | Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook | TikTok | Weibo | Threads | WhatsApp

Watch Forum videos at wef.ch/videos | YouTube Get Forum podcasts at wef.ch/podcasts | YouTube Subscribe to Forum news releases

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This cicada is part of a large brood that emerged around a tree Wednesday in Western Springs.

Jim Vondruska/For the Sun-Times

As cicadas emerge, nature lovers travel thousands of miles to converge on Illinois

For tourists, illinois is the place to be for the historic cicada emergence. the 17-year brood in the state’s northern half and the 13-year brood in the southern part are set to converge near springfield..

When scheduling a girls’ trip to Chicago with her younger cousin, Kat McHenry planned what any Chicago tourist would: Comparing deep dish pizza at Pequod’s and Lou Malnati’s, exploring at the Field Museum, and seeing the city’s sights.

But one item on their itinerary stood out. They got matching tattoos — of cicadas.

The emergence of periodical cicadas that rise from underground every 17 years to sing, mate and die was the main reason the Monterey, California, resident and her aspiring entomologist cousin came to the Windy City.

“What really drew me to the trip and brought me joy was getting to share it with her and ... inspire her to be a part of the sciences, to be interested in the subject and push her a little bit on her journey towards her schooling,” McHenry said.

And they’re not the only ones. Other nature lovers are coming to Illinois from near and far to see the double brood emergence . The two breeding groups of cicadas that each emerge every 13 or 17 years will coincide for the first time since 1803, covering more than a dozen states.

Illinois is the place to be for the historic emergence. The 17-year cicadas will mainly cover the northern half of the state while the 13-year cicadas are centered mostly in the southern part, and the two are set to converge near Springfield.

“Illinois is kind of the hotbed for [cicada tourism] right now because there are a few counties, more in central Illinois, that would [have] potential overlap areas where you would get both,” said Teri Guill of Carrollton, Texas, who is planning to visit Chicago next week with her 13-year-old niece.

Maxim André Goddard, center, plans to come to the Chicago area with his partner, Anna, and daughter, Alexandria, to see the 17-year cicadas during their historic emergence.

For Maxim André Goddard, the natural phenomenon is reason enough to make the trek from Montreal to Chicago with his partner and daughter. The family is planning to come to the area this weekend, hoping to spend time enjoying the city but also venturing out to see the cicadas.

“It’s something that you rarely get to see, so you should take the opportunity to go and see it,” he said.

Goddard, 47, entertained the thought of his 1-year-old daughter coming back to the area when she’s 18 to see the cicadas’ next emergence.

“That would be amazing, if she could be there again for that occurrence,” he said. “When she’s older ... that would just be phenomenal.”

Dave Odd, who leads Eat the Neighborhood foraging tours, said he led an expedition Sunday that wasn’t related to cicadas in Oak Park, but visitors from Japan joined it because they wanted to see the insects. The group found some cicadas, which Odd fried up for the tourists to try. In June, he’s hosting a cicada event at his Beaverville homestead.

Ellyn Fortino, a spokesperson for Morton Arboretum, said curious travelers from Seattle, Alberta, Montreal, Washington state, Tennessee and Buffalo, New York, and other areas, have visited or called to say they’re coming to see cicadas.

Two of those visitors were McHenry and her 22-year-old cousin Maddy McKee, who rented a car to visit the arboretum in Lisle. The pair spotted a small group of cicadas in the grass and trees, picking them up and carrying them around. Wanting to see more, McHenry then posted on Facebook to ask fellow cicada lovers where to go. The Californians hit the cicada jackpot in Downers Grove at the suggestion of some Facebook users.

“That’s where we really started to see them en masse climbing up on the trees all over the place, flying around, making a lot of noise, which was what we expected to see for sure,” McHenry said.

McHenry, 34, has worked as a marine biologist and has traveled to experience natural phenomena firsthand. She went to Indianapolis last month to see the total solar eclipse. Seeing natural phenomena has always delighted her, she said, but this trip had extra meaning.

“My greatest joy was to be able to share [the experience] with my cousin,” McHenry said.

Guill, 41, is also looking to have a similar bonding moment with her niece. It’ll be Guill’s second cicada-centric trip this year, after seeing the 13-year insects recently in St. Louis. In 2021, she saw Brood X in Washington, D.C. But the self-described nature lover made those first two trips alone. For this one, she’ll share the experience.

“In her young mind, some of the coolest things that she’s seen before have been watching an annual cicada molt on the side of the house and being able to watch the creatures that exist around her too,” Guill said of her niece.

The first order of business when they arrive is a visit to the Insect Asylum to check out the museum and pick up Cicada Parade-a statues to decorate themselves and leave one behind on display in the city.

Last time Matt Prusak saw periodical cicadas, he was 10 years old and had just moved to Tinley Park. He and a friend who lived nearby found a white cicada that they buried in a tin can. He remembered the insects flying around, so he had missed the emerging stage.

“Cicadas are so friendly, I guess is the word, [and] that made me get interested in them because they’re very happy to just climb on top of you,” he said. “So I remember that really good summer.”

Now 26 , Prusak found out about a cicada emergence tour in Skokie on Sunday afternoon, so he and his partner made the two-hour round trip from Schererville, Indiana, to Lorel Park. The couple and their fellow tourists watched hundreds of them emerge.

Prusak’s experience with cicadas as a kid helped foster a longtime love of the insect. Seeing them again brings that love full circle, he said.

“It was really a nice closure on growing up, is a way I’ve been thinking about it,” he said. “I saw the end of it before and then I have lived for 17 years and seen ... the other half of it. So it feels like I finished the story of how cicadas work.”

For Guill, the cicadas’ song is what inspires awe.

“When you hear the small, tiny little creature that makes such a noise, it can honestly sound kind of otherworldly when you’re in the midst of it,” Guill said. “It just makes this really kind of otherworldly and amazing chorus that you really only have a chance to experience in this very short time window when these broods emerge.”

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Yuguo Chen named 2024 IMS Fellow

The Institute of Mathematical Statistics (IMS) has announced the selection of Professor Yuguo Chen to the 2024 IMS Fellows list. Chen was chosen for his substantive and sustained contributions to Monte Carlo methods, network data analysis and statistical computing, and exceptional and extensive editorial work. Chen is the Director of the Illinois Statistics Consulting Office and holds affiliations with several University of Illinois units, including but not limited to the Coordinated Science Laboratory, Information Trust Institute, Computational Science and Engineering, and the Illinois Informatics Institute.

Chen's dedication to the academic community is further demonstrated by his numerous editorial roles. He currently serves as the Associate Editor for Statistica Sinica (2020 – present), the Journal of American Statistical Association (2014 - present), and the Journal of Computational and Graphical Statistics (2007 – present). His contributions extend beyond these roles, as he also serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Algebraic Statistics (2009 – present) and the ISRN Computational Mathematics (2011 – present).

Professor Chen's career has been marked by a series of prestigious honors. Prior to his selection to the IMS Fellows, Chen was named a Data Science Founder Professorial Scholar in 2019 by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. This was preceded by his recognition as an American Statistical Association Fellow in 2018.

The IMS was founded in 1935 and now has an estimated 4,700 members worldwide, with approximately 10 percent of the current IMS membership has been named fellowship recipients. The IMS Fellowship nomination process aims to recognize individuals significantly contributing to statistics or probability. Candidates must demonstrate excellence through independent research or leadership in the field, with consideration for those who have made substantial impacts beyond original research or in the application of statistical principles. Nominees must be active members of IMS for at least two years.

Post-Tribune | Porter County Council wants tourism board overhaul

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After councilman applies for vacant post, others want a civilian appointee as well.

The council voted 5-1 Tuesday to ask the county Board of Commissioners to revamp the board to allow the extra appointee. Council President Mike Brickner, R-At-large, cast the sole no vote. Andy Bozak, R-At-large, was absent.

There were four applicants for the vacancy created when Mitch Peters resigned from the tourism board amid controversy over the sudden resignation of former Executive Director Lorelei Weimer and paying her a $225,000 settlement .

The council had voted against forcing Peters off the board.

The four applicants for his replacement were Councilman Andy Vasquez, R-4th; Cameron Wild; Ryan Peters; and George Romero.

Councilman Jeremy Rivas, D-2nd, asked why Vasquez applied.

“I think we want some engagement,” he said. If the council wants to appoint one of its own, perhaps it should ask the commissioners to rewrite the ordinance, he said.

Councilman Ronald “Red” Stone, R-1st, suggested adding a council member as well as a citizen.

“We have liaisons too that could be a communications bridge,” Councilman Gregg Simms, D-3rd, pointed out.

“Our liaisons didn’t do a very good job of communicating,” Stone said.

Stone said if he were a commissioner, there would have been changes made to the board.

“Citizen participation is critical, especially for something like this,” Rivas said.

“I think it’s important to have input from someone from the public on these boards,” Councilwoman Sylvia Graham, D-At-large, said.

Any council member can attend board meetings but being on the board would increase participation in the direction the board takes, Vasquez said.

“I was on the tourism board years ago, and we made a lot of progress during that time,” Graham said.

Rivas suggested asking the commissioners to allow the council president or a proxy to serve on the board.

Council attorney Harold Harper said six members of the tourism board must have some industry experience. If any of the council members is qualified and wants to serve, it’s Vasquez, Stone said.

Vasquez, an organic farmer, is a member of the Duneland Chamber of Commerce and participates in the Portage farmers market as well as two in Lake County.

“I personally would like to get this done,” Brickner said. “I don’t know who we’re going to find to serve more effectively than Councilman Vasquez.”

Graham responded she thinks it’s important for citizens to be a part of government.

“I don’t dispute that. I don’t disagree with it at all,” Brickner said.

“Mitch more than any board member in Porter County came before us” any time there was an issue involving the tourism board and its agency, Rivas said.

Harper said he reviewed both state law and the council ordinance regarding the tourism board and didn’t see anything that prevents a council member from serving on it. “I think it’s more of a political question.”

State statute gives the council 30 days to make a replacement. If not, the tourism board is allowed to make a selection on the council’s behalf.

New tourism board attorney Patrick Lyp has indicated the board doesn’t intend to step on the council’s toes, Harper said. He promised to ask for an extension.

“There’s that slim possibility that if they get a wild hair that we could lose our appointment,” Harper said, but he doubts that will happen.

Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

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