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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 up-to-date Illinois visitor and economic impact information. You can also get information on Illinois via the Illinois Tourism Newsletter or the Illinois Calendar of Events.
2004 Illinois Tourism Visitor Information
- In 2004, Illinois welcomed 90.61 million domestic visitors, 25.73 million for business and 64.88 million for leisure purposes, and more than 1 million international visitors.
- Illinois increased its leisure market share to 2.9% in 2004, ranking 9th in the U.S. in its share of leisure domestic travel and 5th in traveler spending.
- Chicago was the top U.S. city for business travel in 2004.
- Illinois is tied as the 6th most popular state and Chicago is the 9th most popular city for overseas visitors to the U.S.
- Travelers in Illinois spent $24.5 billion on transportation, lodging, food, entertainment, recreation and incidentals during 2004.
- The average age of Illinois visitors was 41, the majority were married, and had an annual household income of $68,000.
- In 2004, the top five states providing visitors to Illinois were: Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Indiana, and Michigan. The top markets for international visitors to Illinois were: Canada, United Kingdom, Mexico, Japan and Germany.
- The primary activities of leisure travelers to Illinois included dining, shopping, sightseeing, entertainment, visiting a museum/art exhibit and nightlife.
- On average, visitors to Illinois in 2004 spent $116 per person per day.
- Illinois' hotel-motel tax revenue totaled $158,902,785 in 2004. The Illinois tourism budget is funded solely by 33.5% of these tax receipts. Approximately 50% of the state tourism office budget is returned to local tourism organizations or communities through grants.
2004 Economic Impact of Illinois Tourism
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Impact
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Direct Impact
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Expenditures (Millions)
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$24,521.52
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Employment (Jobs)
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$299,670
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Payroll (Millions)
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$7,777.80
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Tax Revenues
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Federal
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State
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Local
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Total (Millions)
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$3,025.16
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$1,187.81
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$578.46
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2004 Direct Travel Expenditures in Illinois by Industry Sector
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INTERNATIONAL
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TOTAL
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Industry Sector
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($ Millions)
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($ Millions)
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($ Millions)
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% of
TOTAL
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Public Transportation
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$5,875.40
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$211.39
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$6,086.79
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24.83%
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Auto Transportation
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$5,071.29
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$18.20
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$5,089.49
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20.76%
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Lodging
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$3,687.00
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$427.70
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$4,114.70
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16.78%
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Food Service
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$5,410.41
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$278.62
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$5,689.03
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23.20%
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Entertainment & Rec.
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$1,502.84
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$134.18
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$1,637.02
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6.68%
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General Retail Trade
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$1,463.50
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$441.00
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$1,904.50
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7.77%
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Total
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$23,010.44
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$1,511.09
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$24,521.52
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100.02%
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Source: D.K. Shifflet & Associates and the Travel Industry Association of America
State
Facts
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Animal:
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White-tailed deer
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Bird:
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Cardinal
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Dance:
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Square Dance
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Fish:
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Bluegill
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Flag:
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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.
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Flower:
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Purple violet
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Amphibian:
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Eastern Tiger Salamander
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Reptile:
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Painted Turtle
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Fossil:
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Tully monster
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Insect:
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Monarch butterfly
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Mineral:
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Flourite
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Motto:
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State sovereignty, national union
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Nickname:
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Prairie State
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Origin of state's name:
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Algonquin Indian for "tribe of superior men"
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Tree:
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White Oak
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Prairie Grass:
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Big Bluestem
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Slogan:
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"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.
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Population:
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12,419,293 (2000 Census)
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State Capital:
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Springfield
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Illinois Constitutional Officers:
Governor: Rod R. Blagojevich (took office in 2003)
Lt. Governor: Pat Quinn
Attorney General: Lisa Madigan
Secretary of State: Jesse White
Treasurer: Judy Baar Topinka
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.
For more information, visit www.illinois.gov.
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