West Cook News

Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle celebrated the launch of Cook County Tourism Alive, an initiative aimed at revitalizing the hospitality and tourism industry in suburban Cook County. The event coincided with National Travel and Tourism Week and included participation from local elected officials, leadership from the Forest Preserves of Cook County, and representatives from five suburban convention and visitor bureaus (CVBs).

Tourism Alive features a new campaign called Outside Chicago and a workforce development initiative titled “This is Your Wake Up Call.” "The hospitality and tourism industry is a key contributor to the economic well-being of Cook County, and we are proud to build this initiative that will drive people—whether they are residents, tourists or employees—to the region," said President Preckwinkle. She emphasized the industry's struggles during the pandemic and highlighted the importance of continued financial support.

Funded by $10 million from the American Rescue Plan Act, Tourism Alive is led by the Cook County Bureau of Economic Development. Planning for this partnership began over a year ago between Cook County and five suburban CVBs: Chicago Southland CVB, Chicago’s North Shore CVB, Meet Chicago Northwest, Rosemont CVB, and Visit Oak Park.

Each CVB has developed or expanded initiatives with support from Tourism Alive. Notably, Meet Chicago Northwest launched a multimedia marketing golf campaign with an investment exceeding $41,700. This campaign attracted over 4,000 new golfers to the area and generated an additional $1.8 million in hotel room revenue during July and August 2023.

In collaboration with these CVBs, Cook County is also participating in Visit Chicagoland—a regional tourism campaign promoting various adventures throughout Chicagoland.

Outside Chicago encourages exploration of suburban outdoor areas within Cook County's limits but outside Chicago city limits. The region boasts over 70,000 acres of scenic locations including forest preserves, parks, shorelines, hiking trails, biking trails, campsites, and waterways. Visitors can access maps, guides, expert tips on enjoying these areas on Outside Chicago’s website as well as share their experiences on Instagram.

"Outside Chicago is a great new way for us to reach out to a broad and diverse audience to welcome them to our nature centers," said Eileen Figel, interim general superintendent of the Forest Preserves of Cook County.

Tourism Alive also focuses on workforce development through its “This is Your Wake Up Call” campaign. It aims to highlight career opportunities in hospitality and tourism while facilitating hiring events such as Hospitality Hires North scheduled for May 29 at Hilton Orrington in Evanston.

Gina Speckman noted ongoing hiring challenges within hotels and restaurants despite there being over 38,000 job postings related to this sector in late 2023. "In addition to highlighting career paths offered to those in our industry," she said "Tourism Alive also strives to directly assist our businesses in finding new employees through our suburban Cook County hiring events."

For more information about Tourism Alive initiatives visit cookcountytourism.com.

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