Funks Grove Pure Maple Sirup recently as part of Small Business Week. (Photo courtesy Facebook/Bruce Rauner)
By Greg Halbleib
BLOOMINGTON – The Illinois tourism director says more people are visiting the state, resulting in more dollars in state and local accounts.
During a recent visit to Bloomington-Normal, Illinois Office of Tourism Director Cory Jobe said it’s not just Chicago that people are visiting–many are headed downstate.
“Everybody wants to take a road trip,” Jobe said. “That terminology is back again. Everybody wants to hit the open road and really experience something authentic and unique. That’s why we launched Illinois Made last summer, which was a program to highlight the entrepeneurial spirit and passion of artisans around the state.”
Local businesses are involved in that program according to Jobe.
“The Bloomington-Normal CVB has its B-N Made, and Epiphany Farms and Funks Grove Sirup are part of our Illinois Made program,” Jobe outlined. “It’s really connecting the visitor with that unique, authentic experience that you can have anywhere in the state.”
Jobe said 110 million domestic visitors were recorded in Illinois in 2016, up by one million from 2015. That resulted in about $2.6 billion tourism dollars. an increase of $105 million over the year directly related to tourism, and 20,000 new tourism jobs over the last two years.
