CHICAGO – Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Friday joined legislators and leaders in the tourism industry to award $22.5 million in grant funding for 89 projects across Illinois through the Tourism Attractions and Festivals Grant program.
Designed to support local festivals and attractions and drive tourism across the state, Illinois increased the funding available from $15 million to $22.5 million in order to support additional attractions. The additional $7.5 million was secured during the Illinois General Assembly legislative session in early January 2023 and the program is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
This second round of the Tourism Attractions and Festivals Grant program provides grant funding to localities, organizations, and businesses for a broad range of tourism-related improvements, events and activities. This builds upon $10 million in funding through the first round of the grant program provided to 40 localities across the state. Combined with Illinois’ largest-ever tourism campaign, “Middle of Everything,” Illinois is prioritizing investing in our thriving tourism industry while driving millions of visitors to choose Illinois for their next trip.
Through the $22.5 million investment, $5 million was reserved for festivals, which serve as economic drivers while bringing communities together, and $17.5 million is supporting a broad range of other tourism-related projects such as attractions, museums, live performance venues, and more. Applications were selected through a competitive process, with each grantee demonstrating how the award would help businesses in the surrounding area, as well as the project’s ability to attract visitors for overnight stays. Projects also scored higher based on proximity to commercial corridors and services – including hotels/motels, restaurants, retail, and other commercial operations.
The State of Illinois continues to prioritize our tourism industry as millions of visitors spend billions of dollars annually across Illinois, boosting economic development and supporting jobs in the industry. In FY23 to date, hotel tax collections have surpassed all of FY22 collections and are on-track to surpass the highest fiscal year collections on record in FY19. Per the latest data available, in 2021 Illinois welcomed more than 97 million visitors who spent more than $32 billion in the state.
The success of Illinois’ tourism sector is due to commitment to supporting the industry as well as the Illinois Office of Tourism’s award-winning “Middle of Everything” campaign. New data from Longwoods International shows that the campaign had an enormous positive economic impact – leading to an additional 2 million trips which equated to an additional $1 billion spent in Illinois hotels, restaurants, small businesses, and attractions. Additionally, every $1 spent on the campaign equated to $91 in visitor spending while generating $10 in state and local tax revenue for every dollar spent – an enormous return on investment.
Grant awards range from $15,000 to $500,000, with an average award of $250,000 for a total of $22.5 million.
Locally, the City of Carbondale will receive a grant of $500,000 to make improvements at the Carbondale Superblock.
According to a City press release, the funds will be used for several upgrades, such as adding ADA-accessible paths through the Superblock, improving fields and fences, constructing new restrooms and concession space, and ensuring the bleachers meet ADA compliance requirements.
City leaders expect these enhancements to attract additional youth sports tournaments, bringing athletes and families from the region and nearby states. Increased activity at the Superblock is likely to bring more tourism dollars to Carbondale through hotel stays and local business and restaurant visits.
After taking over Superblock operations only five months ago, this recognition is a testament to the City’s commitment to enhancing the quality of City-owned park facilities and ensuring accessibility and enjoyment for all.
Other communities in our region receiving grant funding include Centralia where Castle Ridge, LLC will get $271,390 for funding for the Centralia Seasonal Music Festivals at Castle Ridge, $37,500 will be going to the City of Centralia for the installation of historic plaques and a street lighting canopy for the Historic Centralia Commercial District, and The Greater Centralia Chamber of Commerce will see $50,000 for funding for the Centralia Balloon Fest at Foundation Park.
The City of Du Quoin will receive $62,250 for funding for the Du Quoin Holiday Lights Fair.
The Greater Metropolis Convention and Visitors Bureau, Inc. in Metropolis will see $106,350 for funding for the Metropolis Superman Celebration and Fort Massac Encampment.
The Southern Illinois Airport Authority in Murphysboro will get $142,500 for funding of the Cascade of Colors event at the Southern Illinois Airport.
A link to the full list of the recipients can be found here.