Choose Chicago hosts annual meeting on 2026 tourism strategy

Chicago leaders are sharing their strategy to keep the city a top destination for tourists.

Choose Chicago, the city's official tourism agency, held its annual meeting on Tuesday to outline its plans for 2026.

Gov. JB Pritzker was among the city and state leaders who joined the meeting, and said the city's hotel and tourism industry generates more than $20 billion in annual economic impact, and supports more than 130,000 jobs in Chicago.

"When we invest in the places that make Chicago unique, we lift up the businesses and the people that work and live alongside them," Pritzker said.

Last summer, Chicago hotels set a record, with bookings totaling nearly $950 million.

Now the goal is to build on that momentum and continue the growth when it comes to tourism, hospitality, and business.