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According to a report from a global tourism research firm last week, 2023 was another successful year for tourism in Springfield.
Last year, tourism generated a local economic impact of $601.3 million – an increase of more than $70 million from 2022 – according to data from global tourism research firm Tourism Economics, and was part of a nationwide increase in visitor spending.
This was in addition to the $18.8 million contributed to local tax revenue and created over 5,000 new jobs, according to the Aug. 22 announcement by the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau, Visit Springfield.
“For the third year in a row, the Springfield region saw record-breaking traveler spending in 2023,” said Tourism Director Scott Dahl in a press release.
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In addition to existing attractions such as the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and the Lincoln Home National Historic Site, Springfield will soon be home to two new developments that are likely to further boost tourism in the near future.
Construction is underway on Scheels Sports Park on South MacArthur Boulevard, just north of the Interstate 72 interchange. Expected to be completed in spring 2025, the 95-acre outdoor and indoor multi-sports facility will house eight multi-purpose turf fields and a 190,000-square-foot indoor dome.
Local tourism officials estimate the complex will generate about $30 million in additional spending annually. It will be complemented by a new $13 million Fairfield Inn hotel.
President Joe Biden also signed a proclamation earlier this month declaring the site of the 1908 race riots in Springfield a national monument. It will be the second site in the city managed by the National Park Service.
Contact Patrick M. Keck: [email protected], twitter.com/@pkeckreporter.