Tourism Generates Big Bucks for lllinois, Effingham Area

Tourism is generating big bucks for the State of Illinois and for the Effingham County area.

The Illinois Office of Tourism announced both international and domestic travel expenditures reached $41.7 billion in 2018, a $2 billion boost to the state's economy since 2017. More than 118 million visitors came to Illinois in 2018--the 8th consecutive year of record tourism growth in the state.

The state's tourism office reports Effingham County contributed to the state's added economic domestic growth, with $170.71 million in travel expenditures (a 4.1% increase) and $3.44 million in local tax revenue (a 2.7% increase). The office reports more than 5,200 jobs were created across the state as a result of visitor spending, with 1,000 of them in Effingham County.

Effingham Tourism Director Jodi Thoele said, "Effingham looks forward to attracting visitors as we continue to work hard to develop the region as a tourist destination."

Thoele added, "We're happy to see our tourism numbers continue to trend upward. Effingham tourism continues to thrive for many reasons, but one main reason is due to our dedicated hospitality partners here in Effingham, including our hotels, restaurants, attractions and the people behind them. We also have enthusiastic meeting planners, festival/event coordinators and sports event coordinators bringing in fantastic events each year, which help to highlight our city and bring in new visitors. It's rewarding to see everyone's dedication and hard work pay off."

State officials say state and local tax revenue generated from visitor spending jumped 7.1% to $3.3 billion, creating an addition $220.8 million for the state and local communities.