What does 2025 look like – Illinois Business Journal

The tourism sector plays a vital role in Illinois’ economy, driving job creation, economic growth and supporting our small businesses and communities across the state.

In 2023, 112.4 million visitors made $47.2 billion in tourism expenditures, generating a total economic impact of $82.6 billion for Illinois businesses and $6.6 billion in state and local tax revenues. As for international travel to Illinois, 2.2 million international visitors traveled to Illinois, a 39% increase over 2022. International visitors spent nearly $2.7 billion across the state, which was a 47% increase over the previous year. The top five markets for visitation to Illinois in 2023 included Canada, Mexico, India, the U.K. and Germany.

Here in Southwest Illinois and the counties the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau represents (Madison, Macoupin, Montgomery, Greene, Jersey, Calhoun) visitor spending totaled $820 million with more than $30 million in local tax revenues.

Since the pandemic, the visitor economy has seen its ups and downs. Visitors continue to travel to our region in record numbers seeking outdoor adventure and nature-based tourism activities, exploring our culinary scene, discovering our small business community while taking road trips along historic Route 66 and the Great River Road.

According to the U.S Travel Association April 2025 data showed that for both travel-related items and the overall economy, inflation remained largely in check for the month. Overall CPI increased by 0.2% on a seasonally adjusted basis and is up 2.3% compared to the same month last year.

Airline fares fell for the third consecutive month and are almost 8% lower than at the same time last year. Hotel prices also fell for the second month in a row, down 0.2% and 2.4% lower than the previous year. Energy prices have also declined, and gas is almost 12% cheaper than it was last year-contributing to AAA’s record 38 million projected auto trips for this Memorial Day weekend. In both the short and long term, prices of travel-related goods and services remain attractive to consumers and have increased at a slower rate than the broader economy.

This summer, our region will host new and returning sporting events that will help drive hotel demand and the average daily rate with an estimated visitor spending of nearly $10 million. Those events include the NCBA DI and DII presented by Alton River Dragons in May, American Junior Golf Association Alton Junior Championships presented by UHY in June, the F1 Powerboat Alton Midwest Nationals in July, and the Edwardsville PPA Challenger Event powered by JOOLA and the Professional Pickle Ball Association.

The overall visitor economy is fueled by a combination of people searching for great events (sports and local festivals) and getaway road trip opportunities. We continue to see a good influx of out-of-state and local visitors to our region. Champaign and Springfield, IL continues to be a top market for visitors to our region and Chicago has increased its visitor share from 8 percent to 9 percent and is steadily contributing 14 percent of visitor spend.

We are seeing increases in visitor spending in Food & Beverage – up from 36 percent to 38 percent – and in retail spending. Last month alone, visitors spent an average of $153 per person in retail purchases, up 31 percent from $117 per person the previous month.

All of this is positive economic news for Southwest Illinois. It also highlights the impact the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau has in attracting high impact visitors to the region and infusing new dollars in to local community revenues.

Cory Jobe has served as the president and CEO of the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau since November 2020; other career milestones include serving as the director of the Illinois Office of Tourism and as vice president of marketing and communication for Chicago’s Navy Pier.

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