By Dave Dahl
SPRINGFIELD – The damage the pandemic did to the travel industry depends on whom you ask. Department of Natural Resources chief of staff Kristin DiCenso …
“Illinois state parks, fish / wildlife, recreational, and historic sites saw 26.7 million visitors in June through December 2019,” DiCenso told the state Senate Tourism Committee Thursday. “For the same time period in 2020: 28.4 million visitors.
“So we actually increased our visitors last year.”
Cory Jobe, a former state tourism director and Navy Pier marketing executive who now runs a tourism bureau for six southwestern Illinois counties, countered, “Here in Illinois, traveler spending was down 50 percent v 2019 due to the decline in traveler spending, federal, state, and local tax receipts declined by 41 percent.”
One difference: Illinois state parks are still free to visit.
Dave Dahl can be reached at news@wjbc.com
