There has been a SHOCKING Increase in Tourism to Illinois

The numbers are quite shocking, why has there been such a giant increase in tourism to the Land of Lincoln, and where are these people visiting from? Here are the details...

According to an article from The Center Square, International Tourism in Illinois jumped up a staggering 39% from 2022 to 2023. Just to be clear, the 39% increase in tourism is from international visitors, not a total tourism increase. What could be the cause of this?

In the article, they say "Officials said that international visitors injected nearly $2.7 billion into Illinois' economy in 2023, representing a 47% increase in spending compared to the previous year." The article goes on to mention that in 2023 Illinois saw a total of 2.1 million international tourists. To read more about the increase in International Tourism to the Land of Lincoln, click here!

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This is why Illinois NEEDS Chicago

How many international tourists from Australia, England, France, or wherever, did you see walking around your small town spending money and taking pictures last year? None, right? Chicago is a WORLD class city, it is a city that is worth visiting from across the globe, in the same way, we here in Illinois have the desire to go to Paris, London, Tokyo, or Rome. I know we get tired of Chicago politics here in downstate Illinois, but Chicago is a special city and is a place that has a global presence that we shouldn't take for granted just because the politics annoy us.