Summertime Chi sets new record for tourism
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People at "The Bean" at Millennium Park in August. Photo: Joshua Lott/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Chicago hotel guests booked over 3.5 million rooms from June to August, breaking a tourism record set in 2019.
Why it matters: Despite President Trump's constant putdowns of Chicago as a violent "hellhole," tourists are finding plenty of reasons to flock to the country's third-largest city.
By the numbers: Hotel bookings generated $949 million in revenue according to Choose Chicago, the city's official tourism arm.
- Officials attribute $20 billion annual economic impact to tourism and say it supports 130,000 hospitality jobs across the city.
Zoom in: Chicago's hotel industry saw a trio of high-demand weekends this summer, driven by major cultural events:
- Pride weekend in June, when guests booked nearly 92,000 nights
- The weekend of July 19, when K Pop phenoms BLACKPINK performed at Soldier Field
- The first weekend of August, when Lollapalooza descends on Grant Park.
Zoom out: International air travel nationwide was down 7% from 2024, according to an Axios analysis of U.S. Customs and Border Protection data, Axios' Emily Peck reported this month.
Yes, but: Chicago got a boost from visitors from Colombia, Spain, Japan and Italy, Choose Chicago shared with Axios.
Reality check: As summer comes to a close, city officials feel pressure to maintain momentum. A calmer events schedule — and images of federal agents detaining families at popular spots like Millennium Park — could reduce demand.
What they're saying: "Any time there is negative rhetoric or unsettling images surrounding our city, Choose Chicago has to work even harder to reflect the true vibrancy and positivity of Chicago. And we are," Choose CEO and president Kristen Reynolds told Axios in a statement.
- "We're also in daily communication with our meetings and convention clients to ensure they feel confident in choosing Chicago. And we're seeing the results: record-breaking summer hotel occupancy, strong meeting and event attendance, and a continued stream of visitors who are experiencing our city safely and joyfully."