Gov. Pritzker Awards $22.5 Million to Boost Tourism, Support Illinois Festivals and Attractions

 

Gov. Pritzker Awards $22.5 Million to Boost Tourism, Support Illinois Festivals and Attractions 

CHICAGO – Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity (DCEO) joined legislators and leaders in the tourism industry to award $22.5 million in grant funding for 89 projects across Illinois through the Tourism Attractions and Festivals Grant program. Designed to support local festivals and attractions and drive tourism across the state, Illinois increased the funding available from $15 million to $22.5 million in order to support additional attractions. The additional $7.5 million was secured during the Illinois General Assembly legislative session in early January 2023 and the program is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).    

This second round of the Tourism Attractions and Festivals Grant program provides grant funding to localities, organizations, and businesses for a broad range of tourism-related improvements, events and activities. This builds upon $10 million in funding through the first round of the grant program provided to 40 localities across the state. Combined with Illinois’ largest-ever tourism campaign, ‘Middle of Everything,’ Illinois is prioritizing investing in our thriving tourism industry while driving millions of visitors to choose Illinois for their next trip.  

“Whether people are traveling to Illinois to visit the Superman Celebration in Metropolis, take a drive down the historic Route 66, or check out the world-renowned architecture in Chicago, Illinois has it all,” said DCEO Director Kristin A. Richards. “The State of Illinois is committed to bolstering the tourism sector by supporting the best festivals and attractions in the country that will show visitors from near and far that Illinois is the best place to live, work and do business.” 

Through the $22.5 million investment, $5 million was reserved for festivals, which serve as economic drivers while bringing communities together, and $17.5 million is supporting a broad range of other tourism-related projects such as attractions, museums, live performance venues, and more. Applications were selected through a competitive process, with each grantee demonstrating how the award would help businesses in the surrounding area, as well as the project's ability to attract visitors for overnight stays. Projects also scored higher based on proximity to commercial corridors and services – including hotels/motels, restaurants, retail, and other commercial operations. 

“By supporting festivals and other tourist attractions, we help local entrepreneurs thrive while also showcasing the unique cultural and historical features Illinois has to offer,” said State Senator Mattie Hunter, (D-Chicago). “Events like these create jobs, boost our local economy and are an important part of our communities.” 

“Tourism is our way to share our history and our stories with visitors from all over the world,” said State Senator Robert Peters, (D-Chicago). “By providing funding for tourism attractions, we bolster our economies, create well-paying jobs, and strengthen the future of our communities.” 

In addition to the Chicago Architecture Biennial, which is the largest architecture and design exhibition in North America held across various neighborhoods across Chicago, grant funding supports local institutions like Belleville’s Old Town Farmer’s Market, and large-scale events like the Taste of Chicago and the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival. The grants also support community-based events like Equiticity’s community bike ride series in Chicago designed to support local businesses, and the inaugural Lake County Juneteenth Festival at Foss Park. 

The State of Illinois continues to prioritize our tourism industry as millions of visitors spend billions of dollars annually across Illinois, boosting economic development and supporting jobs in the industry. In FY23 to date, hotel tax collections have surpassed all of FY22 collections and are on-track to surpass the highest fiscal year collections on record in FY19. Per the latest data available, in 2021 Illinois welcomed more than 97 million visitors who spent more than $32 billion in the state.  

The success of Illinois’ tourism sector is due to commitment to supporting the industry as well as the Illinois Office of Tourism’s award-winning ‘Middle of Everything’ campaign. New data from Longwoods International shows that the campaign had an enormous positive economic impact – leading to an additional 2 million trips which equated to an additional $1 billion spent in Illinois hotels, restaurants, small businesses, and attractions. 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. 

Grant awards range from $15,000 to $500,000, with an average award of $250,000 for a total of $22.5 million. 

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