Hoey: DeKalb County tourism generated $123M in 2023

Recent Illinois tourism data shows local tourism strong, visitors coming to Illinois in record numbers

By Brad Hoey - DeKalb County Convention and Visitors Bureau
Published in The Daily Chronicle - August 27, 2024 at 3:42 pm CDT

The large crowds seen at this past weekend's DeKalb Corn Fest and Sycamore's Ribs, Rhythm, and Blues event are an indication that travel and tourism continues to thrive in DeKalb County.

Data released recently by the Illinois Office of Tourism reveals that not only is local tourism as strong as ever, but visitors statewide are traveling to and within Illinois in record numbers.

DeKalb County generated a local economic impact of $123 million and contributed to an increase in visitor spending across Illinois in 2023. In addition, this boost in tourism contributed $2.9 million in local tax revenue while directly supporting 726 jobs in the tourism and hospitality industry, according to the latest data provided by Tourism Economics, a global tourism research firm. The research measures the number of visitors as well as their impact on Illinois' economy during the 2023 calendar year.

Signature events like Corn Fest, the Sandwich Fair, Sycamore's Pumpkin Fest, and the Northern Illinois University Huskie football season impact the local economy by attracting visitors from across the region, state and the nation. Travelers from Florida and Tennessee recently attended DeKalb County's annual Barn Tour. The upcoming Barbed Wire Weekend hosted by the Joseph E. Glidden Homestead in late September is expected to draw exhibitors from as far away as North Carolina and California.

Read the full article in The Daily Chronicle: Hoey: DeKalb County tourism generated $123M in 2023