Tourism in Kankakee County continues to deliver major returns for area communities. According to new data released by the Illinois Office of Tourism and Tourism Economics,
visitors in Kankakee County spent $166.9 million directly in the 2024 calendar year, fueling local small businesses, restaurants, attractions, lodging and events across the county. Tourism also helps to support 1,247 hospitality and tourism related jobs and generated more than $6.8 million in local tax revenues that help fund essential services.

“Tourism is more than welcoming visitors – it’s about sustaining our communities,” said Nicole Gavin, Executive Director of Visit Kankakee County. “Every festival ticket purchased, every overnight stay, every dinner out, each fill-up at the gas pump contributes to the strength of our economy. These numbers show that tourism is an integral part of Kankakee County.”

Kankakee County Year-Over-Year Performance  >

 Hotel occupancy: jumped from 51% in 2023 to 61% in 2024. (source: Zartico Lodging Data) Additionally, short term vacation rental occupancy grew from 45% in 2023 to 47% in 2024.
 Jobs directly supported by tourism: Grew slightly from 1,239 in 2023 to 1,247 in 2024.
 Labor income: increased from $41.2M in 2023 to $41.9M in 2024.
 Local tax revenue: rose from $6.7M in 2023 to $6.8M in 2024, providing more funding for schools,
roads and public safety.
 Visitor Spending: dipped slightly by 0.5% from $167.7 million in 2023 to $166.9 million, indicative
of a strong and stable tourism sector.       {data submitted}

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