Embattled tourism industry holds pep rally amid tough times

With Chicago hotels operating at less than half capacity, air travel down and business conventions being canceled, state and city travel officials held a rally Tuesday at Navy Pier for the embattled tourism industry.

A crowd of about 150 gathered on the Lakeview Rooftop Terrace to hear officials sing the praises of tourism industry employees and announce initiatives designed to jumpstart travel.

“We want to leverage Chicago’s reputation as a city that means business” to combat the “erosion” of convention attendance, Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau President and Chief Executive Officer Tim Roby said. The bureau is launching an Internet advertising campaign on May 18 geared toward luring business travelers to the city and encouraging local businesses to “keep their business here,” he said.

The city’s convention and tourism bureau, along with the Chicago Office of Tourism and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, hosted the rally in conjunction with the 26th annual National Travel and Tourism Week. More than 35 cities across the country also held rallies.

Director of the Illinois Bureau of Tourism Jan Kostner emphasized “budget-friendly” travel options and cited increased inquiries on the bureau’s Web site during the last year as evidence that “people still want to travel.”

“I’m cautiously optimistic,” he said. “I think we’re going to start moving in the right direction. I don’t think it’s going to go from zero to 100.”

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