House Lawmakers Hear Testimony from Illinois Tourism Industries

House lawmakers are from the tourism and hospitality industry about what’s needed to begin the recovery process. Mike Jacobson with the Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association testified before a House Committee that he doesn’t expect the hotel industry to recover from the pandemic until 2024 at the earliest. He says they need financial support to get back up and running and suggests some of the Federal money is receiving go to hotels. Event space managers say while they understand reopening plans are based on COVID numbers, they need a clearer path towards reopening so that they have time to hire and train staff. Others stressed the need for a promotional campaign to bring business back to Illinois.