Nearly 57 Million Tourists Spent A Record $21.5 Billion In Chicago Last Year, Report Says

CHICAGO — Chicago tourism continued to rebound in 2025, with the city drawing 56.8 million visitors and generating a record-setting $21.5 billion in visitor spending, Choose Chicago announced Thursday.

The numbers reflect nearly 1.5 million more visitors than in 2024 and hundreds of thousands of more hotel bookings, with 11.9 million rooms booked in 2025 compared to 11.6 million in 2024. 

“Chicago continues to prove itself as an unmatched global city and a one-of-a-kind tourism destination,” Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement.

Choose Chicago, the city’s tourism bureau, said the largest group of people visiting the city were Millennials, who were born between the early 1980s and mid-1990s. They accounted for 37 percent of tourists, the report states.

On average, “overnight leisure travel parties” spent more than $1,300 per stay.

While more than one-third of visits are in the summer, fall and winter are also popular. Spring, at only 16 percent of the total, is the least popular time to come.

“Chicago’s continued growth as a global destination reflects the energy, diversity and world-class experiences that define our city,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement. “Tourism is a powerful economic engine that supports thousands of jobs, drives investment in our neighborhoods and strengthens communities across Chicago.”

The announcement rounds out Choose Chicago’s 2025 economic impact report, which showed tourism gains across several categories. In February, the agency said the city reported more hotel room nights, convention bookings and hotel revenue in 2025 than in 2024, despite President Donald Trump’s repeated portrayal of Chicago as unsafe and unwelcoming.

Choose Chicago also previously highlighted that the organization secured 65 citywide conventions last year, up from 49 the year prior, and a record $2.9 billion in hotel revenue compared to $2.8 billion in 2024. New citywide events secured by the city include the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game, 2026 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament and the 2027 MLB All-Star Game.

Chicago tourism could also see a boost next year thanks to the addition of a tourism improvement district. Meant to increase Choose Chicago’s budget by $40 million annually, the district adds a 1.5 percent tax on short-term room rentals of 30 days or less at hotels. 

The fee applies only to hotels with 100 or more rooms located Downtown and the money is designated to promoting Chicago and attracting visitors and events.