Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
Apr 21, 2025
Choose Chicago interim President and CEO Rich Gamble (from left); Chief Commercial Officer of the Chicago Department of Aviation Amber Ritter; Navy Pier CEO Marilynn Gardner; and Magnificent Mile Association President and CEO Kimberly Bares participate in the “State of Hospitality, Tourism & Events Industries” keynote during the Summit conference
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
Chicago’s hospitality and tourism industry said the city is uniquely qualified to weather any downturn, even though the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs and rhetoric toward other countries could curb international visitors.
That was the sentiment Tuesday during the industry conference the Summit in West Loop. This year’s event drew 1,100 people, including event planners, hotel operators and suppliers, organizers said, across multiple locations, and it offered educational sessions, networking opportunities and a trade show.
Tim O’Malley, CEO of Ateema Media & Marketing, which has hosted the Summit for the last 24 years, said the atmosphere among hospitality professionals this year feels different.
“There’s an uneasiness. While we were planning this event we were hearing that international travel is already waning,” O’Malley said.
Canada is at least one country whose residents have been canceling U.S. trips. A number of Canadian tour companies told the Sun-Times that many customers backed out of trips to Chicago and other American cities in protest over Trump’s tariff policy and his description of Canada as the “51st state.”
But O’Malley said there is a bright side for Chicago businesses that depend on tourism.
“The positive thing is that the average visitor to Chicago comes from a 300-mile radius, and some Americans may be wary about going overseas so they may visit big cities like Chicago instead,” O’Malley said.
John Curran, vice president of Big Bus Tours, said fears of DOGE’s cuts to the National Park Service could also bring more people to the city.
“We may not get the international traveler but we may get people from Indianapolis and Michigan, especially if they cannot get into the national parks,” he said.
While that may be true, Rich Gamble, interim president and CEO of Choose Chicago, said there is a difference between domestic and international tourists.
“We know that international tourists stay longer and spend more, so it’s a priority for us,” Gamble said, during the conference’s keynote.
He said even though Chicago brought in a record total of $490 million in hotel tax revenue and sold 11.6 million hotel rooms in 2024, he doesn’t expect to match that this year.
“As we look to 2025, we anticipate another strong year but expect to see demand dip a bit,” Gamble said.