by Donald Wood
Last updated: 1:11 PM ET, Mon January 15, 2018
The mayor of Chicago has announced that the city set a new tourism record in 2017.
According to CBS Chicago, Mayor Rahm Emanuel noted Sunday that 55 million tourists visited the city, an increase of 1.5 million visitors and a 2.5 percent jump from the previous year. The new record was also a 40 percent increase over 2010 when there were under 39 million visitors.
He had previously set the goal of reaching 55 million visitors annually by 2020.
In addition to the bolstered numbers, Emanuel revealed the city's tourism industry supported an estimated 146,500 jobs in 2017, an increase of 17 percent since he took office.
"Tourism in Chicago means jobs throughout Chicago," Emanuel told CBS Chicago. "By continuing to set new tourism records and bring millions more people to Chicago every year, we are generating economic opportunities that reach every Chicago neighborhood."
The hotel industry in Chicago has also shown signs of growth, with a 6.3 percent increase in leisure visitors last year. The city also boasted five new hotel openings during 2017, and there are eight more scheduled to open in 2018.
Another aspect of tourism growth was the number of visitors attending conventions. McCormick Place held many last year, and 21 out of the 40 largest events reported an increase in attendance over the previous year.
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