Quad Cities tourism stakeholders post with Daniel Thomas, deputy director of the Illinois Office of Tourism at Bally's Quad Cities Casino and Hotel in Rock Island on Tuesday, Nov. 7. CREDIT KENDA BURROWS
Tourism in Illinois continued its rebound from COVID-19 lows throughout the last fiscal year, but it has not yet matched the impressive upward trajectory the industry enjoyed before the pandemic. To explore ways to turn that needle up higher and faster, Daniel Thomas, deputy director of the Illinois Office of Tourism, visited Bally’s Quad Cities […]
Tourism in Illinois continued its rebound from COVID-19 lows throughout the last fiscal year, but it has not yet matched the impressive upward trajectory the industry enjoyed before the pandemic.To explore ways to turn that needle up higher and faster, Daniel Thomas, deputy director of the Illinois Office of Tourism, visited Bally’s Quad Cities Casino and Hotel in Rock Island on Tuesday, Nov. 7, as part of his State of Illinois Tourism Listening Tour. Tuesday’s Quad Cities stop — at which dozens of tourism stakeholders gathered to share their challenges and wish lists — was jointly hosted by Visit Quad Cities President and CEO Dave Herrell and Experience Galesburg Executive Director Randy Newcomb.Topping the list of tourism wins for the State of Illinois in the fiscal year that ended June 30 is recording a record-breaking $308 million in hotel-motel tax revenues. That total surpassed a pre-pandemic record set in fiscal year 2019. Last year, the state also welcomed 111 million visitors who spent $44 billion in 2022, or 14 million additional travelers who spent $12 million more than calendar year 2022. Those 111 million visitors represent a third of the nation’s population, Mr. Thomas said.State taxes also totaled about $22 million, that’s up 27% year over year. Those numbers are important to “residents and local communities because what we do is help lower household income taxes in the State of Illinois about $1,260 per household,” he added.“That was very exciting news and we’re very proud of that,” Mr. Thomas said. A native of New Zealand, he grew up in the hospitality industry including in America and was appointed to lead the Illinois Tourism Office three months ago by Gov. J.B. Pritzker. Mr. Thomas called the governor the “chief marketing officer of the state” and remains deeply committed to helping grow tourism to pre-pandemic levels.
Director for all of Illinois
To help make that happen, Mr. Thomas has personally committed to meeting with tourism stakeholders at 25 listening events in 15 days. He's also crisscrossing the state because with his appointment on July 1, he agreed to be the “state travel director of the entire State of Illinois.” His goal is to connect with the communities served by Illinois’ 36 convention and visitors bureaus (CVB), also known as destination marketing organizations (DMO).At the Quad Cities stop, the state tourism chief also said that while the tourism numbers last year were good, they can be better and he's seeking ways to help CVBs make that happen. “What's not lost on me is that pre-pandemic Illinois was on a really good momentum roll,” Mr. Thomas said. “We had nine consecutive years of tourism growth.”And while record-breaking hotel-motel tax collections are worth celebrating, Mr. Thomas said, it's important to note that pre-pandemic visitor counts peaked at 122 million visitors. That means, he said, “there's still $11 million visitors out there in the competitive tourism global landscape that we need to get back to our state.”So he’s crisscrossing the state to find ways to grow a tourism industry that was “incredibly challenged” from a business perspective by COVID-19 and faces a changing landscape.“And as we stand here today in the endemic phase, as I like to call it, the reality is that the world has changed,” Mr. Thomas told QC leaders. “We as visitors have changed. How we travel has changed. The why-we-travel has changed.”That may require some changes in the way communities market and work to inspire travelers.“The reality is not everything is rainbows and unicorns. There are some challenges out there, and so I’d love to just hear from you,” Mr. Thomas said shortly before turning the microphone over to the crowd.
Foreign travel still challenges
Among the challenges, Mr. Thomas identified is the ongoing failure of international travelers to return to the U.S. in record numbers and the reduced number of conventions and conferences that were major drivers of tourism before 2019.There still are, however, “lots of pockets of opportunity to leverage and maximize,” he added. For example, the state leaders said, while there are fewer conferences, visitors who attend them are extending their stays and they’re bringing their families. Those extended family vacations create new opportunities not only for traditional tourism venues but in new and growing areas of tourism including outdoor recreation and ecotourism. To help that effort along, Mr. Thomas said Illinois has launched a new office of outdoor recreation within his department.Promoting and creating more recreational opportunities in the Quad Cities also was among the wish-list items stakeholders shared Tuesday.Others included the need for more and better signage, increased local, regional and state trail support and state assistance in marketing “unique assets,” including historically significant sites and cities. Rock Island Aldermen Dylan Thomas said with its history, "Rock Island is sitting on an oil reservoir underneath the ground.” The city boasts rich Native American history, and train history including the Rock Island Line. And, he said, there’s the “more exciting and glamorous gangster history like John Looney.” Others suggested selling Chicagoans on the fact that the Quad Cities with the Mississippi River and all its other attractions — including John Deere World Headquarters and the John Deere Commons, pelicans, bald eagle and more — is just two and half hours away. They also pushed for advertising at airports that connect to the Quad Cities and more cooperative advertising opportunities, especially for small businesses.
