Visitor spending in Rockford and Winnebago County increased to $523.4 million in 2024, up from $515.4 million in 2023, marking a 1.5% year-over-year increase, according to the 2024 Illinois Tourism Economic Impact Report, prepared by Tourism Economics, a division of Oxford Economics, for the State of Illinois.
This growth puts Rockford and Winnebago County ahead of many of its peer counties in Illinois, where large-population counties — including Champaign, Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McLean, Madison, Peoria, Rock Island, St. Clair, and Will — collectively averaged a -0.595% decline in visitor spending (or -1.07% without Cook County’s results).
Regionally, Winnebago County also outperformed its Northwest Illinois neighbors, which collectively averaged a -0.68% decline in spending in 2024.
“Tourism continues to be a powerful economic driver in Rockford and Winnebago County,” said John Groh, president/CEO of GoRockford. “The increase in visitor spending demonstrates the strong return on our investments in marketing, events, and destination development. These results affirm that our community is attracting more visitors and competing effectively against counties and competitors across Illinois.”
Looking ahead, GoRockford is confident this momentum will continue with major events and developments on the horizon, including IRONMAN 70.3 Rockford, the 2026 AHL All-Star Classic, the 2024 opening of the Hard Rock Rockford, and new projects emerging from the Thrive 2035 destination master plan.
2024 Direct Impact Highlights for Winnebago County
· Employment: 4,687 direct jobs supported by tourism, up 0.71%
· Labor Income: $167.8 million in direct income generated for residents, up 1.64%
· Taxes: $14.7 million in direct local taxes generated, up 2.52% and $34 million in direct state taxes, up 2.1%,
· Share of State Tourism Economy: 1.5%
Local leaders echoed the importance of these gains and the promise of what lies ahead. “These results are exciting because they confirm what we already know — Rockford and Winnebago County are on the rise as a destination,” said Geno Iafrate, GoRockford board chair and president of Hard Rock Rockford. “I am confident that our tourism economy will continue to grow. The future is incredibly bright for our community, and GoRockford is proud to play a leading role in building that momentum.”
Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara said, “Tourism continues to be one of Rockford’s greatest economic engines. While many areas in Illinois saw declines last year, we saw growth. That translates into more jobs for our residents, more income for families and more tax dollars to reinvest in our community. These results show that the investments we’re making are paying off, and they reaffirm that Rockford is a place people want to visit, explore and return to.”
Statewide Results
Illinois also saw record-breaking achievements in 2024. The state welcomed 113 million domestic and international visitors who spent a record $48.5 billion — an increase of 500,000 visitors and $1.3 billion from 2023. This surge generated an all-time high of $367 million in hotel tax revenue in FY25 (from July 2024 – July 2025, a 14% increase over the previous record). It directly supported 282,165 tourism and hospitality jobs statewide.
The tourism and economic impact information is part of a comprehensive annual report released by the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity and compiled by Tourism Economics.
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