As you no doubt have heard by now, Chicago was unsuccessful in its bid to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic games. While we are certainly disappointed that we won't have the opportunity to showcase our great city and state at such a high-profile event, I truly feel nothing but pride for the incredible efforts and teamwork that brought so many talented people together. 

Regardless of the result, the Chicago 2016 effort was truly in the Olympic spirit as it brought together people from an array of diverse industries and backgrounds to create something amazing. It is also in that spirit that we congratulate Rio de Janeiro on its winning bid. President Obama, Governor Quinn and Mayor Daley deserve thanks for their leadership, as does the 2016 Chicago Olympic Committee, the Illinois tourism industry and the thousands of volunteers, without whom Chicago would not have advanced to be one of the final four candidate cities.

Let's not underestimate the value of the exposure that was the direct result of the Olympic bid. With a spotlight on our world-class destinations and the positive word-of-mouth and media coverage, we can expect even more travelers to Illinois in the months and years ahead. In pursuing the Olympics, Illinois was unified. Now, as we look forward to new initiatives and goals, that unity will continue to provide us great strength toward new successes.

One of these initiatives is our "Fallfillment" advertising campaign, which, through creative graphics and messaging, drives home the unique range of experiences offered by our many autumn getaways. Check out the land of Fallfillment, at www.fallfillment.com, and find out more about fun activity pairings like corn mazes and carnivores, haunted festivals and wine festivals, sea shows and scenic byways, and many more Fallfilling adventures.

The idea for Fallfillment developed from the results of a recent survey which had Illinois leading its neighboring states in fulfilling travel experiences. Fourteen categories were explored, including romantic getaways, tourist attractions, sports and American history. IBOT is building on these results by focusing on the unique and diverse experiences available to Illinois travelers through our fall getaways.

Finally, I'm pleased to announce that the 2010 Illinois Governor's Conference on Tourism will return to the Fairmont Chicago, Feb. 17 - 19. With a stellar array of speakers, panels and events, this is one conference you won't want to miss. For more information and to register online, go to www.ilgovconference.com.

BACK TO TOP  | AGRITOURISM IN ILLINOIS | NEWS YOU CAN USE

By Brooke Doggett, Illinois Bureau of Tourism, Springfield

Everyone knows that Chicago offers great food and shopping. We all recognize Springfield as the home of Abraham Lincoln, and we love to enjoy nature in our many beautiful state parks. What everyone may not know, however, is that tucked away from one tip of the state to the other, are endless agricultural treasures just waiting to be discovered and enjoyed. If you have visited a winery, a pumpkin patch, or even an elk farm, you have experienced the joys of agritourism in Illinois, and this time of year is ideal for exploring the state's bounty of offerings.

Agritourism attractions offer travelers a chance to visit a working farm or an agricultural, horticultural or agri-business operation for the enjoyment, education and active involvement in the activities of the operation. Agritourism also provides alternative revenue streams to farming operations and significant economic impact to communities through tourism. Spend a weekend with friends and enjoy visiting a handful of Illinois' more than 80 wineries. Other options include a stay at a bed and breakfast, the chance to participate in a local culinary retreat or class, explore a corn maze, pick apples and pumpkins and take home baked goods that are delicious reminders of a wonderful trip through Illinois' agritourism offerings.

The Agriculture and Tourism Partners of Illinois Association (ATPI) is a membership-based organization with the purpose to encourage, foster, and stimulate new tourism development through agritourism in Illinois. This group has created a Web site which lists agritourism entities throughout the state divided by region. Please visit www.agfun.com to find exciting agriculture related attractions in your area or anywhere in Illinois you might plan to travel. To learn more about the wineries of Illinois, check out www.illinoiswine.com. 

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Rules for Bloggers

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently published new rules which require bloggers to "clearly disclose any 'material connection' to an advertiser, including payments for an endorsement or free product."  

As discussed in a recent post on Travel 2.0 Blog, the FTC rule changes are welcomed by the online community. By having the FTC create new guidelines --the first in nearly 30 years--it is, according to the blog, "an undeniable recognition of the legitimacy of social media and a genuine effort to crackdown on unscrupulous advertisers who're bringing us all disrepute anyway." The ruling creates a means to stop what Travel 2.0 Blog calls "payola" and forces companies and bloggers to fully disclose any relationship.

As discussed in Advertising Age on Oct. 12, there are larger issues at hand with this ruling, specifically related to how it infringes on First Amendment rights. Due to the non-specific wording of this ruling and stating that decisions would be made on a "case-by-case" basis, it allows the FTC to "apply the law selectively at its pleasure."

The New Reality - 2010 Illinois Governor's Conference on Tourism
Be certain to mark your calendar for the 2010 Illinois Governor's Conference Feb.17 - 19, as the industry comes together to learn from tourism experts and take advantage of the latest information, products and services to help enhance the Illinois travel experience. The 2010 conference will be held at The Fairmont Chicago, and we have an excellent list of speakers already lined up to help spread the message of this year's theme, The New Reality.

The conference begins with a series of presentations and the annual Ice Breaker reception. We'll continue with the State of the State of Tourism Address and an outstanding line up of key note speakers including Roger Dow, president, US Travel Association; Jim Caroll, futurist, trends and innovation expert; and Mike Rayburn, the worlds' funniest guitar virtuoso. New to this year's line-up, the conference will include a three-part social media boot camp to help bring us all into the new reality of online awareness. The conference will conclude with the Illinois Excellence in Tourism awards luncheon on Friday, Feb. 19.

Please visit the conference Web site: www.ilgovconference.com to sign up and receive the early-bird registration rate now through Jan. 8, 2010. For hotel reservation information, please visit http://www.fairmont.com/chicago/ or call 312-565-8000 or 866-840-8402 and tell the operator that the event is the 2010 Illinois Governor's Conference; the group reservation code is ILGC to receive the special rate of $129 per night.

BACK TO TOP  | JAN'S LETTER |  AGRITOURISM IN ILLINOIS