Chicago, the host city of this year’s IPW travel trade exhibition, is riding a wave of popularity.
Known for its iconic “The Bean”, a monumental work of art that anchors downtown Millennium Park and reflects the city’s famous skyline and the surrounding green space, enjoyed a record-breaking summer for hotel bookings.
It is also celebrating its ninth consecutive win as Best Big City in the U.S. as voted for in the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards.
Figures released by Choose Chicago reveal leisure travel played a key role, with 2.5 million hotel rooms booked by leisure travellers, an 11.2% rise over 2024. The four strongest hotel weekends on record all took place this summer.
In 2024, Chicago welcomed an estimated 55.3 million visitors, generating $20.6 billion in economic impact and supporting more than 130,000 jobs.
The city was also recognised in the U.K. edition of Condé Nast Traveler as one of the friendliest cities in the world, the only U.S. city to receive that distinction.
Kristen Reynolds, President and CEO of Choose Chicago, said: “Chicago is never done breaking records and never outdone as a global destination.
“Our hotels and tourism partners have once again delivered an unforgettable summer season for millions of guests, further strengthening the industry’s $20 billion annual economic impact for our city and supporting 130,000 hospitality jobs across all 77 neighborhoods.”
An enthused Governor, JB Pritzker, commented: “While critics try to paint Chicago as something to fear, the rest of the world knows the truth—this is the best big city in America.
“Chicago is a city of strength, resilience, and heart, powered by the people who welcome visitors from every corner of the globe with unmatched warmth and pride.
“For the ninth consecutive year, the world’s most discerning travellers have recognised what we already know: no one does it like Chicago. No narrative can change that because the spirit of this city is simply unstoppable.”
Choose Chicago is working to build on this record-breaking summer through autumn and winter through its new All for the Love of Chicago campaign, which invites residents and visitors to share their stories on social media – hashtags #NeverOutdoneChi and #AllForTheLoveOfChicago – about what makes the city special.
