Tourism spending hit record $1.43 billion in Lake County last year
Lake County remains among the top tourism destinations in Illinois, with visitors spending a record $1.43 billion locally in 2018.
Visit Lake County, formerly known as the Lake County Convention & Visitors Bureau, reported this week that travel expenditures last year rose 6.7% from the previous year. Lake trails only Cook and DuPage among Illinois counties' tourism dollars.
"The full picture isn't captured solely in visitor spending but also in the increase in jobs and opportunities that travel and tourism generates in Lake County," Visit Lake County President Maureen Riedy said.
Tourism-related employment in Lake County rose 3% to 11,350 jobs, and local tax receipts increased to $32.4 million, or 5.2%, from 2017, according to the agency. Specific numbers of visitors by site are tracked by each locale and were not available to rank.
Mainline attractions like Six Flags Great America, which continues to introduce new rides, in Gurnee and Ravinia Festival in Highland Park remained staples for returning visitors. But newer destinations like Great Wolf Lodge in Gurnee provided added impetus, tourism officials say.
Continued efforts to raise awareness of what's available year-round and the introduction of events such as Restaurant Week and the Lake County Libation Trail, which features craft brewers, wineries and distilleries, also are snaring local and regional visitors.
Visit Lake County uses a mix of digital and social media marketing and other forms of advertising to reach a broad base of potential businesses, explained Mary Priller, marketing manager. That include blogs of "top things" and "must do" activities, she said.
"Visitors look to us, more and more, to provide the expertise and suggestions on how to best spend their day, night or weekend here," she said.
Two state parks, the Chain 'O Lakes and hundreds of miles of trails and bikeways in the county are draws for outdoor enthusiasts as well, Priller added.
"I think it's awareness, honestly," Priller said. "There are so many great ways to communicate with people, and we're pushing this amazing experience out there and people are responding."
Visit Lake County is supported by member dues from Antioch, Deerfield, Fox Lake, Grayslake, Gurnee, Highland Park, Lake County, Lake Zurich, Libertyville, Lincolnshire, Long Grove, Mundelein, Vernon Hills, Waukegan and Zion.
Illinois also is on a tourism roll, setting records in 2018 for the number of visitors and money spent. In July, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced that data provided by the U.S. Travel Association showed visitors spent $41.7 billion in Illinois last year, up 5.1% from 2017, which created an additional $220.8 million in tax revenues for Illinois and local communities.