“Developing and strategically marketing rural tourism has been shown to foster entrepreneurship, job creation, and cultural revival.” (Soulard et. al., 2023)  According to the Illinois Office of Tourism, tourism represents a significant part of the Illinois’ economy.  In 2019, Illinois tourism brought in $3.3 billion of state and local tax revenues and generated over 342,000 jobs, and tourist spending totaled $41.7 billion. 

Marketing Rural Tourism is an Extension program developed for members of tourism organizations and their volunteers as well as anyone interested in learning how to market their local and regional tourist attractions.  During the presentation the participants are provided with insights into identifying target markets, the importance of digital marketing and how to create effective tourism marketing campaigns that reach different generations. 

In addition, the presenter provides information and resources from a recent research project completed by the University of Illinois and Illinois Extension called I-Rural: Reimagining Illinois Rural Tourism Through Community and Extension Collaboration.  For more information about scheduling a program in your area, please contact a CED Staff member.

Toolkit Overview

The I-Rural Toolkit walks community leaders through a step-by-step process for evaluating current assets and developing a future vision of what tourism might look like in the community. The toolkit includes templates for leading community meetings, brainstorming strategies for tourism development, interviewing stakeholders, and surveying visitors.

Download the I-Rural Toolkit

Each section includes a template that can be tailored to meet the needs of your community. In addition to these resources, be sure to contact your local Illinois Extension agent for their insights and support.

About the Project

This project was funded by an Extension Collaboration Grant, which receives financial support from University of Illinois’ Office of the Provost Investment for Growth Program and Illinois Extension. We are grateful for valuable project leadership from College of Applied Health Sciences.

Principal Investigator

Joelle Soulard, Ph.D., Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism, College of Applied Health Sciences

Co-Principal Investigators

Suiwen (Sharon) Zou, Ph.D., Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism, College of Applied Health Sciences Jennifer Russell, Illinois Extension Community and Economic Development

Extension Collaborators

Laura Payne, Ph.D., Earl Allen, Alexandra Burbach, Mike Delany, Margaret Larson, Janice McCoy, Nancy Ouedraogo, and Richard Proffer Other Collaborators Carla Santos, Ph.D., Jason Beverlin, Kathie Brown, Roger Carmack, Brenda Davenport-Fornoff, Mark Moran, Brenda Stadsholt, and Barbara Strack