SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — The tourism industry is booming in Illinois. State leaders announced Monday that Illinois hotels made $308 million during Fiscal Year 2023. Gov. JB Pritzker said that is the highest hotel revenue numbers in state history.

111 million people visited Illinois during 2022 and spend a whopping $44 billion. That total represents 14 million more travelers spending an additional $12 billion more than Illinois grossed during 2021.

"More tourism means millions of new visitors exploring all the amazing things that our state and city have to offer, supporting small businesses and local economies along the way," Pritzker said during a press conference in Chicago.

In fact, tourist spending helped generate $4.2 billion in state and local tax revenue during Fiscal Year 2023. State leaders said that helped revive the state's economy following a significant drop in tourism and hospitality during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tourists also helped support over 270,000 jobs in the hospitality industry.

"We're seeing the return in demand for tourism in destinations across Illinois and our occupancy numbers are rising closer to pre-pandemic levels as we welcome leisure tourists, business travelers, and large-scale conventions and events back to our communities," said Michael Jacobson, President and CEO of the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association.

Lawmakers and industry leaders said the "Middle of Everything" tourism campaign has played a large role in this recent success. The Pritzker administration noted that every dollar spent on the campaign equated to $91 in visitor spending and generated $10 in state and local tax revenue from Chicago to Southern Illinois and everywhere in between.

"It's not just this world class city on the lake or Taylor Swift, or Beyoncé, or NASCAR that is bringing people to Illinois," said House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch (D-Hillside). "It's our historical rich capitol city, Springfield, the home of Abraham Lincoln."

The Pritzker administration just launched three new "Middle of Everything" ads last month to highlight fun activities people can enjoy across the state this summer. Those ads are now airing on TV in Illinois, seven neighboring states, and on cable nationwide.

Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton (D-Illinois) said the state is bouncing back from the COVID-19 pandemic because every visitor can find something to love in Illinois.

"We truly have it all for every kind of tourist," Stratton said. "The strides we are celebrating today is a testament to that. Illinois stands out because there is no place like it. And it's exciting to know that millions of visitors are seeing that for themselves."

Eighty-nine projects across Illinois also received $22.5 million thanks to tourism grants from the Pritzker administration in April. The second round of Tourism Attractions and Festival Grants provided funding to local governments, organizations, and businesses to improve property, events, and activities.

You can see a full list of grant recipients by clicking here. 

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