Illinois and Kane County were both winners in tourism trade last year.

According to a news release by the Illinois Department of Commerce’s Office of Tourism and the Greater St. Charles Convention and Visitors Bureau, Illinois tourism industry’s economic impact continues to grow, topping $37 billion in travel expenditures and creating more than 10,000 new jobs in 2015.

In Kane County, travel expenditures topped $458.73 million, while tax revenue from tourism reached $30.78 million in 2015.

Illinois’ number represent a 2.6 percent increase from 2014, and the 10,000 new jobs in 2015 represented a 3.5 percent increase from 2014.

“Illinois has something for everyone to enjoy, from world-class museums and galleries, historic sites, a rich cultural arts community to professional sports, outdoor recreation and beautiful vistas,” said Cory M. Jobe, director of the Office of Tourism. “Our tourism and hospitality industry are Illinois’ greatest champions, drawing not only new visitors, but repeat travelers as well, in order to support and grow our local economies.”

In Kane County, tax revenue receipts from tourism reached $9.83 million at the local level; and $20.9 million at the state level in 2015, while visitor expenditures topped $458.73 million.

“As tourism thrives in Illinois and throughout Kane County, the Greater St. Charles Convention and Visitors Bureau is extremely excited and honored to be one of three cities chosen to be featured in the Fall/Winter 2016-17 edition of the TRAVEL ILLINOIS Tourism Guide,” says Executive Director Lula S. Cassidy, of the Greater St. Charles Convention and Visitors Bureau. “This speaks to the dedication of our bureau in welcoming visitors, and our city leaders’ commitment to creating a welcoming environment where these out of town guests can enjoy superior dining, entertainment and the rich heritage that our area provides.”

The Illinois Office of Tourism’s goal is to find unique and creative ways to showcase the state’s diverse attractions. For example, the Illinois Office of Tourism recently launched Illinois Made, a new program featuring makers, creators and artisans that are proud to call the Land of Lincoln home. Illinois Made brings all of these amazing experiences together in one location for travelers to explore.

These numbers, provided by the U.S. Travel Association, are preliminary numbers only. Final visitor statistics will be available later this year.

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. The Illinois Office of Tourism is funded by a percentage of the state’s hotel motel tax revenue.

SOURCE: Kane County Cougars

Destination information, trip inspiration ideas and trip planning resources can be found at www.enjoyillinois.com.

The Greater St. Charles Convention and Visitors Bureau is funded by the Illinois Office of Tourism and a portion of the hotel/motel tax collected by St. Charles hotels to promote Greater St. Charles as a destination for leisure tourists and meetings and conventions, sports events, and motorcoach trips. For additional information regarding the bureau’s marketing and sales activities, contact the bureau at 630-377-6161, 800-777-4373 or www.visitstcharles.com.

SOURCE: Greater St. Charles Convention and Visitors Bureau, Illinois Office of Tourism