Chicago sets tourism records in first months of 2018

CHICAGO (AP) - Continuing last year's record-setting growth, Chicago set new tourism records in the first months of 2018.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel says hotel demand increased by 12.5 percent in January and February alone. He attributes the bulk of the growth to the business sector. The city held more meetings and conventions in the first months of 2018 than it did during the same time period in previous years.

The leisure sector also set records for this period.

This comes on the heels of unprecedented tourism numbers in 2017, when an estimated 55 million people visited the city. The high number of visitors led to an 11.3 percent increase in hotel revenue per room.

Emanuel says tourism creates more jobs and "injects billions of dollars" into the local economy.