June 22, 2016 – Joe Taylor of the Quad Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau (QCCVB) informed Commissioners that hotel revenue hit $100 million during the April 2015 to May 2016 time period.  Much of that revenue is due to the Quad Cities hosting such events as the Missouri Valley Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament.  Other large tourism-driving events include the Great Race, the John Deere Classic, the Bix 7 Race, and many more.

The QCCVB recently helped cross-country hikers using the American Discovery Trail from Delaware to California.  Mr. Taylor also said that the QCTrails.org website has attracted several visitors and generated buzz about the trail systems in the region.

On July 21, Geotourism by National Geographic will roll out its national campaign on exploring the Mississippi River with the launch of a website.  Also in the works is the Quad Cities Regional Heritage Resources Inventory.  Local libraries are gathering information on what historical resources are available in each location.  Illinois Tourism is undergoing a branding change with the launch of its new slogan “Are you up for amazing?”

The Quad Cities will play host to the Iowa Tourism Conference in September 2016 as well as the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative in 2018.