Illinois Office of Tourism

What Illinois Office of Tourism does

The Illinois Office of Tourism is a state government entity operating under the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity (DCEO), headquartered in Springfield, Illinois. It functions as the official state tourism promotion authority, marketing Illinois as a travel destination to domestic and international visitors through the EnjoyIllinois.com platform, print visitor guides, podcasts, and event-driven campaigns. The office serves a diffuse audience of leisure travelers, families, road trippers, international visitors (notably from Japan), meeting and group planners, and the broader Illinois tourism industry, including hotels, restaurants, attractions, and local destination marketing organizations.

The core platform is the EnjoyIllinois.com website, which aggregates content across four regional destinations (Chicago & Beyond, Great Rivers Country, Land of Lincoln, and Trails to Adventure) and supports an AI-powered chatbot called 'Big Lincoln' developed in partnership with Matador Ventures, Inc. and built on OpenAI technology. The technology stack includes Algolia for site search, Google Analytics (GA4) for web analytics, and Cookie Script for cookie compliance. Sub-products include the biannual Enjoy Illinois Inspiration Guide, the Let's Go! podcast, Illinois Made (artisan showcase), LUXE by Illinois (luxury travel), EV travel resources covering 1,200+ charging stations, Accessible Travel, and commemorative initiatives for Route 66 Centennial and America 250.

The Illinois Office of Tourism does not sell products or services directly to consumers; instead, it is publicly funded through DCEO to drive tourism economic impact across the state. Its distribution model relies on a multi-channel approach including social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube), email newsletters, earned media, podcast production, international tourism trade events (including the upcoming hosting of IPW 2025), and partnerships with regional destination marketing organizations such as Choose Chicago and Great Lakes USA, as well as sports-tourism collaborations with MLB Tourism, the Chicago Cubs, and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Name

Illinois Office of Tourism

Legal name

Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity

Website

https://enjoyillinois.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Illinois Office of Tourism is a state government entity under the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity that promotes Illinois as a travel destination through the EnjoyIllinois.com platform, AI-powered chatbot, print guides, podcasts, and partnerships with regional destination marketing organizations serving domestic and international travelers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tourism Promotion Services: The Illinois Office of Tourism is a government entity that promotes travel and tourism to Illinois. It does not sell products or services directly. The office is funded through the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to market Illinois as a premier travel destination, create tourism content, and support the state's tourism industry.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Illinois Office of Tourism is a state government agency that promotes travel and tourism to Illinois. It operates the official EnjoyIllinois.com website as a comprehensive travel planning platform, produces visitor guides and podcasts, and runs statewide destination marketing campaigns including Pride Month, Route 66 Centennial, and America 250 commemorations. The agency provides tourism promotion as a public service and does not sell products or services directly.

Product overview

The Illinois Office of Tourism operates the Enjoy Illinois platform as a unified digital tourism marketing service. The core offering is the EnjoyIllinois.com website, which integrates multiple sub-products including the AI-powered 'Big Lincoln' chatbot for conversational travel assistance, the 'Let's Go!' podcast, the biannual Inspiration Guide (available in print and digital formats), and specialized programs such as Illinois Made (showcasing local artisans and producers), LUXE by Illinois (luxury travel), EVs in Illinois (eco-friendly tourism), Accessible Travel, Illinois America 250, and Route 66 Centennial initiatives. The platform organizes content across regional destinations (Chicago & Beyond, Great Rivers Country, Land of Lincoln, Trails to Adventure) and categories including Things To Do, Places To Go, and Plan Your Trip.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Enjoy Illinois: Official consumer-facing brand for Illinois tourism promotion
• Let's Go! The Enjoy Illinois Podcast
• Illinois Made
• LUXE by Illinois
• Big Lincoln

Products and services

• Enjoy Illinois Website

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and regional.

• MLB TourismflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 March 2025Multiple U.S. destination marketing organizations traveled to Tokyo in partnership with the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, and MLB Tourism to promote American destinations during the 2025 MLB World Tour: Tokyo Series. Illinois participated as Chicago prepares to host IPW 2025.
• Matador Ventures, Inc. (dba Matador Network)coreTechnology or Integration · 7 January 2024DCEO engages Matador Ventures, Inc. to provide the AI Chatbot functionality labeled 'Big Lincoln.' Matador provides the proprietary conversational AI technology that powers the chatbot, which is based on OpenAI technology.
• Choose ChicagocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial destination marketing organization for Chicago. The Illinois Office of Tourism's website features Choose Chicago branding and coordinates marketing efforts to promote Chicago as a premier Illinois destination.
• Great Lakes USAregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional tourism marketing partnership promoting the Great Lakes region including parts of Illinois.
• Visit The USAregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Brand USA's consumer-facing tourism platform for international destination promotion.
• Chicago CubsflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerChicago Cubs partnered with MLB Tourism and U.S. destination marketing organizations for the 2025 MLB World Tour: Tokyo Series to promote Chicago and Illinois tourism internationally.
• Los Angeles DodgersflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerLos Angeles Dodgers partnered with MLB Tourism for the 2025 MLB World Tour: Tokyo Series, collaborating with U.S. destination marketing organizations including Illinois.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/enjoyillinois
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@EnjoyIllinois
• Facebookfacebook.com/EnjoyIllinoisUS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/illinois-office-of-tourism
• Instagraminstagram.com/enjoyillinois
• Pinterestpinterest.com/enjoyillinois

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Illinois Office of Tourism