Governor Bruce Rauner says 2017 was a record year for tourism in Illinois.
Nearly 114 million people visited Illinois last year, up 3% from 2016, spending more than 39 billion dollars in Illinois.
Governor Rauner hopes to see even more tourists this year as the state celebrates it’s 200th birthday.
17% of travelers came to Illinois for business in 2017, 83% for pleasure.
The state’s tourism industry supports more than 335,000 jobs.
State tourism director Cory Jobe credits the increase to new marketing efforts.
