ICCVB Testifies Before the Illinois House Tourism Committee about Covid Impact

August 13, 2021

SPRINGFIELD—Leaders from the Illinois Council of Convention & Visitor Bureaus (ICCVB) testified today before the Illinois House Tourism Committee to discuss what the industry needs in order to achieve pre-pandemic visitor and revenue numbers, and put Illinois’ local economy back on track.

The COVID-19 pandemic has continued to have a devastating impact on Illinois’ visitor and convention industry—the state’s second largest industry—creating a rippling financial effect on cities and businesses statewide. 

“We need to continue to position Illinois as a safe and responsible destination and reignite this crucial part of our state’s economy. This is not only about bringing back visitors, but rebuilding communities and re-inventing our platform,” said Dave Herrell, chairman of ICCVB and president & CEO of Visit Quad Cities. “Similar to other states already in motion, we need additional funding for recovery efforts such as payroll relief and the initiation of marketing campaigns with messaging focused on safe travel.”

ICCVB represents 37 local destination organizations around Illinois, including Chicago and hundreds of downstate cities, small towns, main streets, urban and rural communities. 

The organization works alongside the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), Illinois Office of Tourism and industry partners to promote Illinois communities as welcoming multi-cultural destinations to visit, work and live through brand awareness, promotion, sales, and visitor engagement. 

For every $1 spent on promoting and marketing Illinois as a destination, the return on investment drives $11 in tax revenue. Beyond the hospitality industry, this type of promotion is a significant asset in recruiting entrepreneurs, workers, students, retirees and investors.

“Alongside prioritizing the health and safety of our residents, we need to safely rebuild Illinois’ tourism industry by prioritizing our businesses and communities by developing solutions and ideas including bringing back hospitality jobs that were cut in half in 2020,” said Beth Marchetti, executive director of the DuPage Convention & Visitors Bureau and DuPage Sports Commission.

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Contact: Olivia Goethals, [email protected] | (312) 888-1983