CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) — Visit Champaign County has released data showing improvements to the economic impacts of travel and tourism to east central Illinois.
“It is very encouraging to see the positive trends in our local travel data after only returning to our sales and marketing efforts in fall of 2021,” states Jayne DeLuce, President & CEO of Visit Champaign County. “This is a testament to the importance of marketing our community, sharing the Outside of Ordinary amenities, facilities, and events that visitors and residents alike can enjoy.”
The data, which was released by Tourism Economics on behalf of the Illinois Office of Tourism, showed that 2021 had a significant increase in tourism activity over 2020.
“Bringing visitors to this area not only helps our local businesses and attractions grow and thrive, it benefits quality of life for area residents.,” explains DeLuce. “While we did see a tremendous recovery in 2021, we are still short of pre-pandemic levels where we were leading in growth across the state.”
Overall visitor spending is still down 16.5% compared to pre-pandemic levels but DeLuce expects the positive trends to continue.
“Reflecting on this past year, we have accomplished so much including hosting the IHSA Boys State Basketball Tournament for the first time in 25 years, seeing record-breaking numbers at the Rantoul Family Sports Complex, a return to meetings and conferences that drive impact during the week, the return of fans to all Fighting Illini sports, and a comeback of major events and festivals. We’re thankful to our stakeholders, our industry partners, our local businesses, and our residents for supporting our efforts as we continue to rebound.”
Numbers for 2022 will be available in the fall of 2023.
2021 Economic Impact of Domestic Travel by County:
Champaign County
Travel expenditures – $420.7 million (22.5% increase)
Local tax revenue – $11.7 million (12.8% increase)
Douglas County
Travel expenditures – $43.2 million (10.8% increase)
Local tax revenue – $1.1 (9% increase)
Moultrie County
Travel expenditures – $8.5 million (4% decrease)
Local tax revenue – $0.4 million (no change)
Piatt County
Travel expenditures – $8.4 million (26.2% increase)
Local tax revenue – $0.3 million (no change)
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