SOUTHERN ILLINOIS IS BIG DRAW FOR TOURISM

Shawnee National Forest sprawls from the Mississippi River to the Ohio River across Southern Illinois. In its more than 265,000 acres of forest are 500 camp and picnic sites and a number or attractions along the more than 2,000 miles of roads that wind through its 10 counties.

The forest that astonishes thousands of visitors also attracts more than a million visitors to the area each year.

Southern Illinois generated more than $979 million dollars in tourism and travel dollars and provided a total of 12,500 tourism jobs in 1998.

Those tourism dollars came flooding in last October when more than 120,000 people crowded into the Massac County Encampment, held along the Ohio River banks at Metropolis, Ill.

Add to those visitor totals, the more 160,000 people who come to layers Riverboat Casino at Metropolis each month and the thousands who visit the Crab Orchard Wildlife Refuge, the Horseshoe Lake Wildlife Refuge and the Union County Wildlife Refuge. It's obvious that Southern Illinois has become a major tourist attraction.

Illinois tourism revenues statewide have reached record levels again.

Consumer spending on travel and tourism in Illinois reached a record $21 billion in 1998, up 7.5 percent. That figure was more than double the national average of 3 percent, from 1997, according to a U.S. Travel Center study.

Tourism is one of Illinois' largest industries, providing more than 297,000 jobs across the state and helping boost related economic development.

The jobs -- primarily in food services, public transportation and lodging -- generated a $6.9 billion payroll. Tax revenues increased 8.5 percent to $3.9 billion.

Cook County generated far more of the total than any other part of the state, with more than $12 billion and 162,500 jobs in domestic tourism alone. It includes the Chicago area.

But 17 counties took in at least $100 million, and 19 had at least 1,000 jobs supported by tourism.

"Tourism is one of Illinois' largest industries, and its outstanding growth through the 1990s has helped boost related economic development in communities throughout the state," said Gov. George Ryan.

In spending by domestic travelers, Chicago and its suburbs accounted for $14.6 billion and 200,000 jobs. The rest of northern Illinois produced $839 million and 10,000 jobs.

Central Illinois produced a little more than $1 billion and 13,000 jobs. Most of that came from Sangamon County, home to Springfield, the state capital and Abraham Lincoln, and Champaign and McLean counties, where major university campuses are situated.

Southern Illinois generated $979 million and 12,500 jobs, while western Illinois brought up the rear at $663 million and 8,500 jobs.

About a fourth of the top tourist attractions are found in Southern Illinois:

-- Carlyle Lake, which attracts more than 4 million visitors a year.

-- Fort Massac State Park at Metropolis, with more than 2 million visitors per year/

-- Rend Lake near Benton and Crab Orchard Lake Wildlife Refuge in Jackson and Williamson County, each with more than a million visitors.

-- Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois, with more than a million visitors.

Gambling casinos are big attractions in Southern Illinois headed by the Casino Queen at East St. Louis, with about 4 million visitors a year; Alton Bell Casino, with 2.5 million visitors and Players Riverbaot Casino at Metropolis, with about 2 million visitors a year.

Williamson, Massac and Jackson counties are the top three immediate Southern Illinois counties that tourists visited in 1998. Tourist and travelers spend almost $70 million in Williamson County in 1998. Tourists spent $47.6 million in Massac County and over $40 million in Jackson County.

Other Southern Illinois counties and money spend by tourist: Alexander, $4.4 million; Union, $4.5 million; Johnson, $13.4 million; and Pulaski, $2.8 million.

Illinois' unemployment rate is at its lowest level in more than 20 years. In addition to the 297,000 jobs directly supported by tourism, another 350,000 jobs are indirectly attributed to tourism activity.

"When more visitors from across the nation and around the world come to Illinois and spend their money, more jobs are created and our tax revenues increase," said Ryan. "These latest numbers show that our aggressive tourism marketing efforts are paying off, and the people of Illinois are reaping the rewards."

To ensure that this trend continues, Ryan secured an additional $5.1 million for this fiscal year for the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs (DCCA) tourism promotion efforts. The new funding will be used for advertising campaigns that target both domestic and overseas markets.

Illinois operates the largest state-funded tourism program in the nation, with a total annual budget of $46 million this fiscal year. Because the DCCA's tourism advertising campaign is funded primarily through a tax on hotel and motel rooms, most of the cost is financed by out-of-state visitors.

"Whether we are marketing Illinois as a weekend getaway or as an international destination the end result is that more people are visiting our state and spending their money here," said DCCA Director Pam McDonough.

The growth in Illinois tourism was led by the international market, which saw a record-high 10.67 percent increase in overseas visitors and an 8.9 percent in crease in expenditures, accounting for more than $1.6 billion of the $21 billion travel-related expenditures.

To capitalize on the foreign market, DCCA is conducting research into expanding Illinois' presence in Japan, Mexico and France. DCCA's Bureau of tourism currently retains in-country public relations personnel and trade representatives in Germany and the United Kingdom.

On the domestic front, U.S. travel expenditures increased 7.4 percent in 1998, while the number of visitors held steady at 76.3 million. However, the number of business travelers to downstate Illinois increased 23.2 percent.

Consumer spending on travel and tourism in Illinois has increased every year for the last 13 years.

The biggest share of tourist money, $5.4 billion, went to airline tickets, taxis and other forms of public transportation. Food was next, followed by lodging. Lodging saw the biggest increase from 1996 levels, 9.1 percent.

The amount tourists actually spent on activities, from golf to gambling, was the smallest category. It added up to $1.4 billion, or 7.2 percent of the total.