Summer events boost Chicago hotels to record revenue

There was no Taylor Swift, but the Democratic National Convention and other high-profile events helped boost Chicago hotels to record revenue this summer.
Visitors to Chicago booked 3.4 million hotel rooms from June through August, up 5% over last summer, according to data released Tuesday by Choose Chicago, the city’s tourism arm.
The increased demand generated $942 million in revenue for Chicago hotels and $54 million in city tax revenue, both up 13% over last summer to all-time highs, according to Choose Chicago.
The DNC, which ran from Aug 19 to 22 at the United Center, drew 15,000 journalists and 5,000 delegates to the city to cover the historic nomination of Vice President Kamala Harris. The made-for-TV extravaganza averaged more than 20 million viewers and culminated with nearly 29 million viewers during Harris’s acceptance speech, according to Nielsen.
The first political convention in Chicago in nearly three decades contributed to a 7% year-over-year gain in group hotel room demand over the summer, which hit 1.1 million room nights, surpassing pre-pandemic convention demand in 2019, according to Choose Chicago.
Leisure travel was up 4% over last summer to 2.3 million room nights, driven by tentpole events such as Lollapalooza in August and the NASCAR Chicago Street Race during July Fourth weekend. Choose Chicago is expected to release a full economic study this month for the nationally televised street race, which the city has already renewed for next summer.
The city, which had 61 million visitors in 2019, is slowly clawing back to pre-pandemic levels, reaching nearly 52 million visitors in 2023, according to Choose Chicago. International tourism accounted for about 1.8 million visitors last year.
This summer, more than 671,000 international visitors came to Chicago, up 11% over 2023. The biggest boost came from north of the border, with Canadian visitation up 21%, according to Choose Chicago.
The year-over-year gains in hotel occupancy and revenue came despite a record-breaking event last summer, when pop star Taylor Swift swept into town in June 2023 for three sold-out shows at Soldier Field.
The confluence of 60,000 Swifties per night and the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting at McCormick Place filled nearly 97% of rooms during last summer’s record weekend, according to Choose Chicago.
While some hoped Swift would make a cameo at the DNC, she didn’t return to Chicago this summer. But everyone from Oprah to the Obamas did, helping the city shine in the national spotlight and rake in record hotel revenue — with or without the Swifties.
The formula of big events with national TV exposure and international appeal has continued into the fall, with Chicago hosting Premier League Mornings Live last month, welcoming a record 15,646 English soccer fans to Lincoln Park for a weekend early morning watch party.
rchannick@chicagotribune.com