CHICAGO — To help boost service, vacationing and business sectors in Chicago, State Senator Robert Peters secured $350,000 in tourism grants for three city organizations.

“Chicago is slowly rebuilding to pre-pandemic tourism rates, seeing over a five percent increase from 2023 to 2024 and topping international visitors at two million for the first time since 2019,” said Peters (D-Chicago). “Investments like these are what make these increases in visitors possible – empowering our communities with the resources needed to offer exceptional, well-rounded services, products and experiences to every person who visits our city.”

Administered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, a total of $6.3 million was awarded to 36 grantees through the Route 66 Grant Program, Tourism Attractions Grant Program and Tourism Private Sector Grant Program.

Three Chicago-based organizations each received $50,000 in funding through the Tourism Private Sector Grant Program for festivals in the City this fall. Grito 916 will use funds to assist with the El Grito Chicago Festival in September. The Illinois Restaurant Association will use its allocation to help with costs associated with Chicago Gourmet 2025 – a premium food and wine festival also scheduled for September. Funding granted to the Chicago Architecture Foundation will be used for Open House Chicago in October, one of the largest architecture and urban exploration festivals in the world. Awards for each organization will support social media marketing and advertising materials – encouraging guests from beyond the 50-mile radius of Chicago to support local vendors, businesses and entertainment.

The Chicago Architecture Foundation also received a $200,000 grant through the Tourism Attraction Grant Program. Funds will be used to assist in costs for the creation of interconnected exhibits and complementary interpretive programs in the Chicago Architecture Center’s brick-and-mortar location at One Illinois Center – attracting visitors through the creation and enhancement of cultural experiences.

“From Route 66 to world class museums, state parks, festivals, cities, and restaurants, Illinois has some of the greatest tourism attractions on the planet,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “These grants will go towards not only keeping Illinois a first-rate destination for travelers, but ensuring that all communities of Illinois benefit from economic development and jobs that come from the millions of tourists traveling to our state every year.”

A full list of awardees can be found here.