Chicago has become one of the hottest tourist destinations in the country — thanks mainly to its visitor site’s use of cutting edge technologies and social media to market it.
“The Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture is a recognized leader in the visitors industry,” said Dorothy Coyle, executive director of the COTC.
ExploreChicago.org, the City of Chicago's Official Tourism Site, has surpassed 6 million visits this year, the highest annual total since its 2009 launch and a 40 percent increase over last year.
Earlier this month, Google invited ExploreChicago.org to provide Chicago tourism and travel content for its new magazine and trends reader, Google Currents.
This fall, a study conducted by Nichols Tourism Group and the National Laboratory of Tourism and eCommerce at Temple University found that ExploreChicago significantly influenced $172 million in direct visitor spending and $3 million in local taxes.
There were nearly 40 million total visitors to Chicago in 2010, three-quarters of which were leisure travelers.
Recent additions to ExploreChicago.org and other highlights include:
·ï»¿ A popular blog, launched in April to provide a unique insider's point of view of the city;
· Events, tours and attractions, searchable by date, neighborhood and interest areas;
· Social media travel tools including free visitor assistance via Twitter (@explorechicago);
· Fun, location-based games including 11 free SCVNGR treks and Foursquare badges;
· Multimedia content such as videos, slideshows, podcasts and an itinerary builder.
By David Wilkening
