Illinois launches $6 million tourism campaign aimed at boosting post-pandemic travel

By TIM KIRSININKAS- CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS

SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker announced a new $6 million tourism advertising campaign Wednesday aimed at attracting visitors to the state and sparking economic activity following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The multimedia campaign, featured around the theme “Time for Me to Drive,” showcases various destinations in all parts of the state and aims to reflect Illinois as a top destination for road trips.

According to a news release, the campaign reflects increasing consumer trends to take shorter trips by car to destinations closer to home following the pandemic. The campaign is the first to be released by the state since the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic last year.

“More and more travelers are ready to get back out there. Recent surveys show that half of Americans plan to travel this summer, and half of them intend to drive,” Pritzker said Wednesday at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield. “So, whether you want to ease your way back into travel or are raring to go, taking the great American road trip is a great way to enjoy yourself and to stay safe.”

Pritzker said the new campaign introduces tourists to “an Illinois they may not have seen before,” including destinations such as state parks, the Shawnee National Forest and the Garden of the Gods.

The campaign also promotes the cities of Chicago, Springfield and Galena as potential road trip destinations.