GALENA, Ill. — Jo Daviess County saw a strong year for tourism in 2022, according to local officials.

Galena Country Tourism officials recently announced that the county generated a local economic impact of $333.2 million in direct spending and a total of $554.5 million overall in 2022.

“This boost in tourism contributed $19.5 million in local tax revenue while directly supporting 2,851 jobs in the tourism and hospitality industry, according to the latest data provided by Tourism Economics, a global tourism research firm,” a press release states.

Both the $332.2 million in visitor spending and $19.5 million in local tax revenue represent 6% increases over 2021.

The local figures contributed to a record year for statewide hotel revenues, which reached $308 million in fiscal year 2023.

Illinois also welcomed 111 million visitors in 2022, 14 million more than 2021, and visitor spending climbed by $12 million over 2021 to reach $44 billion in 2022, the release states.