Choose Chicago Celebrates Record-Breaking 2024, Honors Tourism Champion, and Extends Key Partnership
Chicago's tourism industry is thriving, as highlighted at Choose Chicago's 2025 Annual Meeting of Partnership, held last week at the James M. Nederlander Theatre. Leaders from across the tourism, hospitality, business, and civic sectors gathered to celebrate significant achievements and discuss industry trends.
A key announcement revealed that Chicago welcomed an estimated 55.3 million visitors in 2024, marking a 6.5% year-over-year increase. International visitation also saw a substantial rise, topping 2 million for the first time since 2019, representing an increase of over 10%. This influx generated an estimated economic impact of $20.6 billion. The Choose Chicago Sales department had a stellar year, booking 2.65 million future hotel room nights and 49 citywide conventions, contributing over $3 billion in economic impact from 1,891 meetings and conventions held in 2024.
Mayor Brandon Johnson lauded the city's success, stating, "Chicago is a city that knows how to host... The numbers released today show that the future of our tourism industry is bright."
The meeting also honored Juan Leyva, General Manager of London House Hotel and Chair of the Choose Chicago Foundation, with the 2025 Tourism Champion Award. Leyva, who began his career as a parking garage attendant, was recognized for his dedication to the community and his efforts in fostering future industry leaders. Under his leadership, the Choose Chicago Foundation expanded its scholarship programs, benefiting ten scholarship winners this year.
Furthermore, a significant long-term commitment was announced: the National Restaurant Association Show will continue to be held in Chicago annually through 2032. Lisa Malikow of Informa Connects praised Chicago as "without a doubt one of the greatest convention cities in the world."
Kristen Reynolds, Choose Chicago's new President & CEO, expressed her excitement for the future, noting the "incredible momentum coming out of a record-breaking year for the economic impact of tourism." She highlighted upcoming world-class events like Sueños, IPW 2025, The James Beard Foundation Awards, NASCAR Chicago Street Race, and Lollapalooza.
Outgoing Board Chair Glenn Eden reflected on his six-year tenure, expressing confidence in the incoming leadership, including new Board Chair Guy Chipparoni. Looking ahead, Chicago is preparing to host IPW 2025 from June 14-18, the largest international inbound travel trade show in the U.S., with U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman emphasizing its critical role in attracting global visitors.
