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Did you know Illinois is an Algonquin Indian word that means “tribe of superior men?” Following you'll find interesting facts about Illinois along with the most up-to-date Illinois visitor and economic impact information.

2008 Illinois Tourism Visitor Information

  • Domestic and international travelers directly spent nearly $30.8 billion in Illinois during 2008, a three percent increase from 2007. Domestic travelers in Illinois spent $28.4 billion while international travelers spent over $2.4 billion.

  • Traveler expenditures directly generated 303,500 jobs within Illinois in 2008. One in 10 jobs in Illinois is directly or indirectly supported by travel and tourism spending.

  • Twenty-one of Illinois’ 102 counties received over $100 million in domestic traveler expenditures in 2008. Seventeen counties indicated 1,000 or more jobs directly supported by domestic travelers’ expenditures.

  • Travel spending in Illinois in 2008 generated over $5.5 billion in tax revenues for federal, state and local governments, a 1.1 percent increase from 2007. These additional taxes save an average Illinois household over $1,100 in taxes each year.

  • In 2008, Illinois welcomed nearly 88 million domestic visitors, 20 million for business and 67.8 million for leisure purposes. The top five states providing visitors to Illinois were Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan and Missouri.

  • More than 1.4 million overseas visitors traveled to Illinois in 2008, an increase of 21 percent, ranking Illinois the sixth most popular U.S. state for overseas visitors. The top five markets for international visitors to Illinois were Canada, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Japan and Germany.

  • Illinois ranked ninth in the U.S. in its share of total domestic travel and sixth in traveler spending.

  • The average age of Illinois’ domestic leisure visitors was 45; the majority were married and they had an average household income of $82,510.

  • Primary activities for leisure travelers to Illinois included dining, entertainment, shopping, touring/sightseeing and visiting a museum/ art exhibit.

  • On average, leisure visitors to Illinois spent $127 per person per day. The total average amount spent daily in Illinois businesses is nearly $84 million.

  • Illinois’ hotel-motel tax revenues for FY 09 were more than $205 million.

  • Consumer inquiries for FY 09 were over 2.3 million.

2008 Economic Impact of Illinois Tourism

Impact Direct Impact
Expenditures (Millions) $30,793.1
Employment (Jobs) 303,500
Payroll (Millions) $8,524.4
 
Tax Revenues Federal State Local
Total (Millions) $3,387.80 $1,430.10 $708.60

2008 Direct Travel Expenditures in Illinois by Industry Sector

  DOMESTIC INTERNATIONAL TOTAL % of
Industry Sector ($ Millions) ($ Millions) ($ Millions) TOTAL
Public Transportation $6,813.6 $348.2 $7,161.8 23.3%
Food Service $6,516.9 $428.7 $6,945.6 22.6%
Auto Transportation $7,013.7 $31.2 $7,044.9 22.9%
Lodging $4,853.6 $702.4 $5,556.1 18.0%
General Retail Trade $1,587.7 $696.2 $2,283.9 7.4%
Entertainment & Rec. $1,599.6 $201.3 $1,800.9 5.8%
 
Total $28,385.1 $2,408.0 $30,793.1 100.0%

State Facts

Animal:

White-tailed deer

Bird:

Cardinal

Dance:

Square Dance

Fish:

Bluegill

Flag:

The bald eagle represents the United States. In its beak it holds a streamer with the state motto on it. The state motto means that Illinois governs itself under the government of the United States. In the eagle's claws is a shield with 13 bars and 13 stars to represent the first 13 states. The two dates on the boulder are the dates of statehood and of the state seal. The ground around it symbolizes the state's rich prairie soil.

Flower:

Purple violet

Amphibian:

Eastern Tiger Salamander

Reptile:

Painted Turtle

Fossil:

Tully monster

Insect:

Monarch butterfly

Mineral:

Flourite

Motto:

State sovereignty, national union

Nickname:

Prairie State

Origin of state's name:

Algonquin Indian for "tribe of superior men"

Tree:  

White Oak

Prairie Grass:

Big Bluestem

Slogan:

"Land of Lincoln" – The slogan was adopted by the General Assembly in 1955. The state of Illinois has a copyright for the exclusive use of the slogan.

Population:

12,419,293 (2000 Census)

State Capital:

Springfield

Illinois Constitutional Officers:

Governor: Pat Quinn (took office in 2009)
Attorney General: Lisa Madigan
Secretary of State: Jesse White
Treasurer: Alexi Giannoulias
Comptroller: Daniel Hynes

Illinois General Assembly:

The Illinois General Assembly, composed of a 59-member Senate and a 118-member House of Representatives, is responsible for enacting, amending, or repealing laws, passing resolutions, adopting appropriation bills and conducting inquiries on proposed legislation. It also acts on amendments to the United States Constitution submitted by Congress, proposes amendments to the Illinois Constitution, and takes responsibility for impeachment and conviction of executive and judicial officeholders in the state.

 

 

The Official Web Site of the Illinois Office of Tourism Pat Quinn, Governor Warren Ribley, Director Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
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