The Local Tourism Division, based in Springfield, functions as the Fiscal/Budget Office for the Bureau of Tourism and administers and monitors six local tourism funding programs. The intent of each program is to generate increased hotel and motel occupancy and travel throughout Illinois, furthering the economic development of the state and travel industry. A brief summary of each program is outlined below. Additional information is available at www.illinoistourism.org.

This program provides financial assistance to counties, municipalities, nonprofit organizations and local promotion groups for the promotion and marketing of tourism attractions and events. Promotional projects may include radio, television, newspaper and magazine ads; printed brochures; Web site development; travel and trade show registration; and marketing research. The program may provide a matching grant award up to 60 percent to assist with tourism promotional projects when the remaining cost of the project is financed by local funds. For more information, call 217-557-2409.

This mainly "bricks-and-mortar" program provides financial assistance in the form of matching grants and loans to counties, municipalities, nonprofit organizations, local promotion groups and for-profit tourism-related organizations for the development or improvement of tourism attractions in Illinois. Eligible projects include proposals to develop and improve fishing and hunting areas, historical sites, accommodations, areas of historical or scenic interest, museums, recreation areas or other facilities that attract or serve travelers. Studies and training programs also may be eligible for funding. The maximum grant award is $1 million and must be leveraged with at least 50 percent of the eligible project expenditures from other sources. (For-profit businesses are eligible to receive 25 percent of project costs.) For more information, call 217-785-6337.

The intent of the program is to provide grants to Illinois for-profit entities, counties, municipalities, nonprofit organizations, or local promotion groups to match funds from the private sector, i.e., non-governmental to attract and host new or enhanced regional, national or international tourism events, such as conventions, trade shows, or major sporting activities. The grant may provide up to 50 percent of the eligible costs associated with these events. For more information, call 217-785-6355.

The LTCB Grant program provides assistance to certified convention and visitor bureaus to match state grants with various types of local funds including local hotel/motel tax, membership dues, interest, advertisement sales and/or private funds. The state's certified bureaus use the funds to conduct promotional activities designed to increase visitorship in the bureaus' designated geographic areas. One-third of program funds are allocated for grants to bureaus in cities with a population greater than 500,000, and two-thirds allocated for grants to local convention and tourism bureaus in the remainder of the state. For more information, call 217-785-6360.

This program was initiated to assist Illinois communities in developing or enhancing cultural heritage tourism destinations. Heritage tourism can stimulate local economies, generate new jobs, and create renewed pride and recognition in the value of the cultural heritage of Illinois communities. Heritage projects receive technical and administrative funding along with priority consideration for funding from the other grant programs. Illinois' first round of seven heritage projects was designated in 1998 and a second round of four projects was named in 2000. For more information, call 217-524-2998.

The Bureau of Tourism contracts with five Regional Tourism Development Offices (RTDOs): Northern, Western, Central, Chicago Plus and Southern. They cover areas not represented by a convention and visitors bureau and serve as a resource to the Bureau of Tourism by maintaining the tourism product database, assisting the Heritage Tourism projects, organizing and facilitating quarterly meetings for their regional marketing teams, and providing information on tourism programs and publications for their designated service areas. For more information, call 217-785-8025.

The Bureau's Marketing/Advertising Division, based in Chicago, combines a research-based integrated marketing program with technology to promote travel to and within Illinois. The Bureau of Tourism contracts with public relations and advertising firms for ongoing support for seasonal media campaigns, press releases, niche market opportunities, media alerts, television and radio interview opportunities, special events and other marketing initiatives.

Illinois produces several tourism publications each year that are distributed domestically and internationally, free of charge. These publications are distributed through the state's call center (1-800-2CONNECT), Web site (enjoyillinois.com), Tourist Information Centers, Convention and Visitors Bureaus, Regional Tourism Development Offices and individual visitor sites.

Live travel counselors are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.- 8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. – 7 p.m., to help callers plan their Illinois trip. Counselors access information from the Bureau of Tourism's database to create personalized travel itineraries and provide information to callers on any destination in Illinois. Itineraries and information are tailored to the callers' travel needs, schedules and budgets. Counselors have access to the most detailed information from the database, such as hours of operation, parking availability, upcoming events, amenity information and directions. Travel counselors can also book accommodation reservations statewide. This customized information can be sent to the caller by fax or conventional mail.

The state's network of 14 Tourist Information Centers (TICs) plays an integral role in marketing Illinois as a travel destination. The TICs distribute tourism information and promote attractions, restaurants, hotels and events at key points of entry into the state. All TIC counselors can make accommodation reservations free of charge for travelers. For TIC locations or more information, call 312-814-1159.