Chicago 2012 Tourism Numbers Nearly Match 2007 Record
By Chuck Sudo in News on Jun 11, 2013 2:20PM
Mayor Emanuel’s office announced a strong rebound for the city’s tourism industry Tuesday. Nearly 46.2 million people visited the City of Wind in 2012, a 6.1 percent increase over 2011’s numbers and nearly matching the all-time high of 46.3 million set in 2007.
Overnight and leisure travel helped pace the increase. According to Choose Chicago president and CEO Don Welsh, 18 million people stayed in Chicago overnight last year, a 10.2 percent increase over 2011, while nearly 16 million visitors arrived in Chicago for day trips. Overnight stays for business travelers also set a record last year, with 7.2 million visitors staying in Chicago overnight for a trade show or other business trip.
So all the sturm und drang Welsh made to the Tribune editorial board last year regarding concerns about the murder rate and violence hampering his organization's efforts? Much ado about nothing. The strong numbers are tempered, however, by a modest increase in visits by international travelers and a decline in day trips by business travelers. Still, Mayor Emanuel accentuated the positives and said the numbers indicate Chicago is well on its way to his intended goal of 50 million visitors by 2020.
In a statement, Welsh said the numbers were “incredible” and “are largely a result of how we are proactively and aggressively marketing our destination.” Choose Chicago, which already implements an aggressive marketing campaign touting Chicago as a destination city, received a $5 million boost in funding in February aimed at putting O’Hare and Midway Airports front and center as part of a campaign promoting Chicago as an international tourist hub. Its Fiscal Year 2013 budget was already set at $27.6 million, a combination of public and private funds.