Joliet Taxpayers On Hook For Another $44,595 Going To Heritage Corridor Destinations: City Council Vote

In 2021, the City Council approved a five-year agreement with Heritage Corridor Destinations to manage city-related marketing and tourism.
JOLIET, IL — At Tuesday night’s meeting, Joliet City Council is being asked to approve another $44,595 expense toward the Heritage Corridor Destinations, the marketing promotions and tourism organization based in Joliet led by president and CEO Bob Navarro.
According to the memo from Joliet’s community development director Dustin Anderson, back on December 7, 2021, Joliet’s City Council approved a five-year agreement with Heritage Corridor Destinations, formerly the Heritage Convention and Visitors’ Bureau, to manage city-related marketing and tourism promotion efforts.
Anderson noted that the City of Joliet is responsible for the following payments and budget commitments:
Base Membership Fee: A fee that increases by 2 percent annually.
2022 at $55,142.22.
2023 at $56,245.06.
2024 at $57,369.96.
2025 at $58,517.36.
2026 at $59,687.71.
Tourism Marketing and Promotion Budget: An allocation that increases by 2 percent each year.
2022 at $120,000
2023 at $122,400
2024 at $124,848
2025 at $127,344.96.
2026 at $129,891.86.
Travel Guide Distribution and Fulfillment Costs: No dollar amount is specified in the contract.
Anderson explained in his memo that Joliet covers distribution and fulfillment fees of the regional Travel Guide. In FY 2025, $44,595.24 was spent on fulfillment and distribution fees of the regional Travel Guide, where Joliet is on the cover of the guide.
For FY 2025, September 2024 to September 2025, the Heritage Corridor distributed 25,240 guides throughout 285 Illinois locations including travel centers, hotels, oasis stops, etc., and eight Northern Indiana locations. Additionally, 19,774 guides were mailed to individuals across 35 states. A total of 45,014 guides have been distributed, Anderson remarked.
Furthermore, Heritage Corridor Destinations shares the cost of city-related marketing and tourism promotions, and fulfillment activities through the State of Illinois tourism grants. For this year, the Heritage Corridor has covered $60,000 in distribution and fulfillment fees, according to Anderson.