Kankakee County continues to draw visitors.

In the latest statistics provided by the Illinois Office of Tourism and Tourism Economics, visitors in Kankakee County spent $166.9 million in 2024.

In 2023, tourists spent $167.7 million in the county.

“Kankakee County tourism had a solid year in 2024, and there is ample reason to expect even more in 2025,” Visit Kankakee County Board President Dave Baron said about the recent report.

Kankakee’s East Riverwalk project, Bradley’s 315 sports complex, Bourbonnais’ Grove and Manteno’s Square on Second are among the latest attractions for visitors.

“The improvements now going into each of our communities will yield positive benefits for all our communities in years to come, and Visit Kankakee County is ready to help maximize that impact,” Baron said.

Tourism also helped to support 1,247 hospitality- and tourism-related jobs and generated more than $6.8 million in local tax revenues that help fund essential services, Nicole Gavin said in a release.

Gavin is the executive director for Visit Kankakee County, the county’s organization in charge of marketing the many events and sites available in the county.

“Tourism is more than welcoming visitors – it’s about sustaining our communities,” Gavin said in the release.

The statistics were released during last week’s Kankakee River Valley Regatta and the annual Shoe Fest

“Every festival ticket purchased, every overnight stay, every dinner out, each fill-up at the gas pump contributes to the strength of our economy,” Gavin said in the release.

“These numbers show that tourism is an integral part of Kankakee County.”

The Kankakee River State Park and Frank Lloyd Wright home are among the two popular locations attracting visitors from across Illinois and elsewhere.

Zartico Lodging Data showed hotel room occupancy jumped to 61% in 2024 from 51% in 2023, Gavin said in the release.

Zartico Lodging’s system can also give data on key performance indicators like length of stay, average daily rate and occupancy, based on actual transactional data.

Year-over-year statistics show:

• Short-term vacation rental occupancy grew from 45% in 2023 to 47% in 2024.
• Labor income increased from $41.2 million in 2023 to $41.9 million in 2024.
• Local tax revenue rose from $6.7 million in 2023 to $6.8 million in 2024.

“As we look to the future, Visit Kankakee County will continue spotlighting our communities as an overnight visitor destination, elevating locally owned businesses and strengthening community partnerships for future growth,” Gavin said in the release.

“There is more work to be done, and we are excited to continue sharing Kankakee County’s story.”