CHICAGO (AP) — New Illinois tourism figures show about 110 million tourists from around the country visited the state last year, a more than 1 million increase compared to 2015.
The Chicago Tribune reports that 83 percent of visitors came for leisure and 17 percent came for business. Governor Bruce Rauner released the numbers Monday, saying that every $1 invested in tourism in Illinois generates $9 in economic impact.
According to the Illinois Office of Tourism, the average stay lasted about 3 percent longer than the previous year.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Choose Chicago CEO and president David Whitaker say 54.1 million people visited Chicago in 2016. The city has had a 3.5 percent increase over the first quarter of 2016 with over 10.5 million visitors in the first quarter of 2017.
