Illinois hosted more than 100 million tourists in 2012
Statistics from 2012 show that for the first time Illinois hosted more than 100 million tourists in one year.
The state released figures for international visitors on Thursday, saying more than 2 million tourists visited the state in 2012 from outside the U.S. When added with the number of domestic tourists, the figure tops 100 million visitors for the first time.
Earlier this summer the state announced that it hosted 99 million domestic tourists during 2012. That’s a 6.1 percent increase over the 93 million visitors the state had in 2011.
Domestic and international travelers spent $33.5 billion in Illinois last year. That’s up 5.7 percent. State officials say those dollars created nearly 300,000 jobs in the Illinois economy.
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