Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) —The City of Springfield has been awarded $222,500 through Illinois’ International Tourism Grant Program. That’s nearly one-quarter of the $857,000 in funding announced Tuesday by Gov. JB Pritzker and the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Springfield is one of 11 certified local tourism and convention bureaus statewide to receive grant money aimed at boosting international travel to the state.

  • Champaign County Convention & Visitors Bureau: $16,600
  • Chicago’s North Shore Convention and Visitors Bureau: $52,500
  • City of Springfield: $222,500
  • DeKalb County Convention and Visitors Bureau: $33,600
  • DuPage Convention & Visitors Bureau: $30,000
  • Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau: $228,127
  • Greater Galena Marketing, Inc.: $20,224
  • Heritage Corridor Convention and Visitors Bureau: $150,000
  • Peoria Area Convention & Visitors Bureau: $22,650
  • Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau: $41,100
  • Visit Oak Park: $40,000

Scott Dahl, director of the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau, said the funds will help support international advertising and sales missions, host travel media and tour operators, and enhance the History Comes Alive program. The grant will also allow Springfield to participate in the U.S. Travel Association’s IPW 2025, a premier travel trade show set for June 14-18 in Chicago that draws travel buyers and journalists from around the world.

The state welcomed 2.16 million international visitors in 2023, a 39% increase from the previous year, and the influx accounted for $2.7 billion in economic impact, according to Tourism Economics. The top markets for visitors included Canada, Mexico, India, the U.K. and Germany.

Tourism brings in more than $500 million a year for Springfield