JOLIET – Tourism in the 43rd District will receive a financial boost through recent grants to promote Route 66 during its centennial, thanks to State Senator Rachel Ventura, who helped secure over $553,000 for two local organizations.
“From Route 66 and the Old Joliet Prison to the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Site and the Rialto Square Theater, the 43rd District is home to some of Illinois’ most famous attractions,” said Ventura (D-Joliet). “Being situated in the suburbs of Chicago offers a unique challenge to attract domestic and international visitors, but I applaud the efforts and success that our municipalities and visitor bureaus put into promoting all the amazing sites we have in our communities.”
The City of Joliet was a recipient of a $70,000 Tourism Marketing Partnership grant, which will support their marketing campaign titled “Joliet: An Exit Worth Taking”. This campaign will involve market research, creative messaging and strategic content placement geared toward visitors traveling in the Joliet area. The campaign intends to drive visitation and overnight stays, grow awareness of Joliet attractions, support local businesses and develop a library of media assets which can be reused for future marketing campaigns.
The Heritage Corridor Convention and Visitors Bureau is receiving $283,700 through the Route 66 grant program. Funds will be used for multiple projects along Route 66 including art installation, infrastructure improvements and landmark creation. The Heritage Corridor CVB was also the recipient of a $200,000 International Tourism grant, which will be used for sales missions, tradeshows, activations, print collateral, product development, online advertising and promotion, FAM tours and more.
To learn more about sites and attractions in the 43rd District, click here.
