Report: Visitor spending in Winnebago County hit another record high in 2024
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Visitor spending in Winnebago County increased by $8 million last year to a record $523.4 million, according to the 2024 Illinois Tourism Economic Impact Report.
The report, prepared by data analytics company Tourism Economics, also showed record-breaking tourism spending statewide. That $48.5 billion in visitor spending across Illinois was previously announced by Gov. JB Pritzker. GoRockford, the region’s tourism bureau, shared the local data on Tuesday.
“Tourism continues to be a powerful economic driver in Rockford and Winnebago County,” John Groh, president and CEO of GoRockford, said in a news release. “The increase in visitor spending demonstrates the strong return on our investments in marketing, events, and destination development. These results affirm that our community is attracting more visitors and competing effectively against counties and competitors across Illinois.”
GoRockford noted that spending increased 1.5% here while it declined about 1% collectively in the large-population Illinois counties of Champaign, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McLean, Madison, Peoria, Rock Island, St. Clair and Will.
Local spending figures were aided in part by the opening of Hard Rock Casino Rockford on Aug. 29, 2024. GoRockford said it expects continued momentum on visitor spending with the city’s three-year commitment to hosting Ironman 70.3, as well as the upcoming AHL All-Star Classic in February, and other events like the Women’s Baseball World Cup in July.
“These results are exciting because they confirm what we already know — Rockford and Winnebago County are on the rise as a destination,” Geno Iafrate, GoRockford board chairman and president of Hard Rock Rockford, said in a news release. “I am confident that our tourism economy will continue to grow. The future is incredibly bright for our community, and GoRockford is proud to play a leading role in building that momentum.”
The report also showed that tourism supported 4,687 direct jobs, up 0.71%, and labor income of $167.8 million, up 1.64%. Visitors also generated $14.7 million in direct local taxes, up 2.52%, Go Rockford said.
“Tourism continues to be one of Rockford’s greatest economic engines. While many areas in Illinois saw declines last year, we saw growth. That translates into more jobs for our residents, more income for families and more tax dollars to reinvest in our community,” Mayor Tom McNamara said in a news release. “These results show that the investments we’re making are paying off, and they reaffirm that Rockford is a place people want to visit, explore and return to.”
Statewide there were 113 million visitors, an increase of about 500,000 from 2023. Spending was up by $1.3 billion statewide. Visitors generated an all-time high of $367 million in hotel tax revenue statewide.
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
