Local tourism groups, including the Danville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, will get some state funding to help cover overhead under a new law sponsored by State Senator Scott Bennett.
House Bill 4757 reduces the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunities (DCEO) ability to reserve and use 10 percent of the local tourism funds for administrative costs to three percent.
“We all know how valuable our local tourism programs are, especially in Illinois’ bicentennial year,” said Bennett (D-Champaign). “This new law is a great opportunity to get some more funds into local tourism groups to help better promote our communities as destinations and bring money back to Illinois.”
The DCEO used the 10 percent of the revenue from the Hotel Operators Occupation Tax for the operational costs of local tourism programs. However, due to the to the state’s backlog of unpaid bills, the Comptroller has not been sending out the full payments,causing local tourism groups to make cuts in their budget.
Bennett said this has harmed local tourism groups, which have been forced to cancel events, cut advertisements, leave positions unfilled and send fewer people out on the road to promote their cities.
“Illinois has so much to offer,” Bennett said. “I am glad that we are now getting that money into local hands where it can be better spent.”
The governor signed the law Friday, and takes effect immediately.
