Posted 18 months ago in Trending
1 MIN READ – A recently published Chicago Sun-Times editorial board piece points out that despite the incessant bashing of our great city, Chicago is undoubtedly beloved.
The Chicago Sun-Time’s article "Haters can keep hating: Chicago tourists are back" excerpt below rebuts the consistent naysayers and ne’er do wells on how magnificent Chicago really is:
“Verbally slamming the city like a piñata has practically become a national pastime for some out-of-town politicians, former residents and suburbanites who love to tell anyone who crosses their paths how terrible it is here.
Who can forget Donald Trump’s rants or former gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey repeatedly characterizing Chicago as a “hell hole?” Yes, the winters are tough (but) […]
People love the Windy City.
We're not just talking about the devotion of Chicago Natives. It's tourists, too."
As Chicagoans who love their city already know, people love Chicago.
“The so-called Second City is No. 1 to many people who live close by and others who travel from miles away, who come to check out our cultural attractions, architecture and vibrant neighborhoods.
- A whopping 60% more tourists — nearly 48.9 million domestic and international visitors — came to Chicago in 2022 compared to the year before, according to...Choose Chicago.
- That’s almost 80% of the roughly 61 million guests who stopped by in 2019 before the city, along with the rest of the world, shut down due to the pandemic.
- The nearly $17 billion out-of-towners shelled out while visiting last year is also 89% of the amount spent in 2019, the Sun-Times’ David Roeder recently reported.
Taylor Swift, NASCAR and Lollapalooza may not be everybody’s cups of tea, but they are big draws, which translates to big bucks and a much-needed boost downtown.
Indeed, it is glorious, and the statistics prove that million others agree.”
And recently, the ASCO Annual Meeting, James Beard Foundation Awards, and sold out concerts for Taylor Swift contributed to surpassing hotel occupancy records and bountiful tourism.
Read the full Chicago Sun-Times article here.
