bursting

THE TOURIST’S

BUBBLEin CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Publication of this book was supported by numerous cups of coffee from either Shona’sFrench Press, or the Daily Grind.

2010 by me as I sit in the library atWashington State University

This book would be printed on acid freepapepaper, but it’s just in my computer.

De Graffenreid, Monica.Final Title would go here.

Don’t worry all this will be deleted.

[contents]

PART I:TOURISM TODAY

Who are Chicago’s tourists?

- Over 45.5 million people visited, including 32.4 million domestic

leisure travelers, 11.7 million business travelers and 1.36 million

overseas travelers.

- The number one reason for visiting Chicago is Entertainment.

-- 69% of all overnight leisure travelers come from within Illinois,

Michigan, Indiana, and Wisconsin.

- The majority of tourists have income under $50k/year

- 80% of visitors arrive by automobile.

-The Navy Pier is Chicago’s premier tourist attraction, hosting

8,305,000 visitors per year, which is more than two times that of

any other Chicago Attraction.

[Chicago’s Travel Market]

1

[The Navy Pier ] PART I:TOURISM TODAY

5

PART II:CHICAGO’S TOURISM IN ITS FIRST WAVES

[A Unique City]

7

5

Constructed 1914 as the largest pier in the world -1 of 5 piers envisioned in Burnham’s 1909 Plan for Chicago -Built originally both to handle shipping and as an entertain ment site. -By the late 1930’s the pier had become a recreation site in the summertime. (END OF GOLDEN YEARS) -During WWII the pier was leased out to the Navy, used as a training area for sailors and pilots.

Used by the University of Illinois -provided a two year undergraduate degree for reterning veter ans -1960’s exhibitions brought some entertainment of sorts to the pier. -U of I left the pier and it fell into disuse again.

Revitalization of the pier began to take place -In 1989 the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority took control of the pier and started the major renovations which were debuted in the 1995 grand re-opening of the pier.

[construction & early years] PART III:THE PIER REVISITED: CONSTRUCTION

3PART III:THE PIER REVISITED: CONSTRUCTION