Economic impact of Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum for the state  of Illinois

This is an excertp from a press release by Governor Blagojevich, naming former State Journal-Register Publisher Patrick Coburn Chair of Destination Springfield Civic Leadership group.  Read entire press release.

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Springfield and Illinois are poised to capture the growth market of travel, tourism and entertainment, the world’s largest industry today and fastest growing industry sector in the United States, by leveraging the vast interest and legacy of President Lincoln for both cultural and economic development initiatives.  Destination Springfield is a clever and compelling vision that enhances the existing Lincoln venues, builds upon the many assets of Springfield, and maximizes the “heartland of America” location to define a collection of world-class destination attractions for Illinois, the Midwest and the nation.

In 2005, travel to Illinois directly accounted for more than 300,000 Illinois jobs, including more than 400 new jobs in 2005, that generated nearly $7.9 billion in wages.  Economic impact generated by travel spending in 2005 in Illinois grew to a record $26.2 billion, an increase of 6.8 percent, generating $1.84 billion in state and local tax revenue, according to the Travel Industry Association of America.  This added an additional $74.2 million in state and local taxes in 2005.

 

Illinois’ total domestic person-trip volume also increased to a record high of 90.78 million visitors in 2005, according to D.K. Shifflet & Associates.  Illinois’ strong growth was largely spurred by a 10.7 percent increase in business travel.

 

Overseas visitors have climbed by 39 percent over the past two years greatly contributing to Illinois’ growth, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.  There was an 18 percent increase in the number of overseas visitors in 2005.  More than 1.1 million people from around the globe came to Illinois making it the 6th most popular U.S. state for overseas travelers.

The expenditures made by travelers in Sangamon County in 2005 were nearly $321 million, which was up almost 9 percent from 2004.