FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contacts:

Isaac Reichman, ireichman@choosechicago.com, (312) 805-9586
Stephen Crano, scrano@choosechicago.com, (312) 567-8505

Choose Chicago Celebrates Record-Breaking Weekend of Travel and Kicks Off Summer in Chicago

Strong weekend of travel expected over Memorial Day Weekend after record-setting impact of Beyoncé concerts and National Restaurant Association Show

 Chicago (May 22, 2025) — Today, Choose Chicago celebrated the official start of summer by sharing recommendations for top things to do in Chicago over Memorial Day Weekend and forecasting a strong weekend of travel based on encouraging data released by experts across the industry. Memorial Day Weekend comes on the heels of three Beyoncé concerts and the National Restaurant Association Show, which contributed to the best single day in Chicago’s history in terms of hotel room demand.

“The impact from the confluence of Beyoncé’s concerts at Soldier Field and the presence of the National Restaurant Association Show resulted in a record-breaking weekend for Chicago’s hospitality industry,” said Choose Chicago President and CEO Kristen Reynolds. “This is such an exciting time of year in Chicago—with Memorial Day this weekend, Sueños coming back to town, and a summer packed with marquee events like NASCAR, Lollapalooza, and the Air and Water Show right around the corner. Our tourism and hospitality industry remains strong as we head into the summer and we look forward to continuing this momentum, driving economic vitality through visitation.”

According to projections released by AAA, over 45 million Americans will travel over the Memorial Day holiday period—an all-time record—with Chicago identified as one of the top domestic destinations. Earlier today, the Chicago Department of Aviation announced that they expect to welcome more than 1.86 million travelers to Chicago’s airports over Memorial Day Weekend, 5% more than last year.  Furthermore, the latest Travel Price Index released by the U.S. Travel Association shows that travel remains affordable—the Total Travel Price Index in April was down 1% year-over-year, with airline fares down 8% and gas prices down 12%.

Now extended through 2032, the National Restaurant Association Show brings tens of thousands of food service and hospitality professionals to Chicago each spring. This year’s show took place May 17 – 20 and overlapped with the Chicago leg of Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour, contributing to unprecedented hotel room demand:

  • 46,450 hotel rooms were filled on Saturday, May 17—an all-time Chicago record for any single day.
  • The impact was felt all week, with nearly 280,000 hotel rooms filled May 11 – May 17, generating $84.7 million in hotel revenue, $14.7 million in hotel taxes, and an average occupancy rate of 85%. This represents one of the strongest weeks in Chicago’s history.

“The National Restaurant Association Show is absolutely thrilled to call Chicago our home—without question the most vibrant culinary destination and premier convention city in America!” exclaimed Lisa Malikow, Senior Vice President for the National Restaurant Association Show at Informa Connect. “Year after year, this incredible city continues to dazzle and delight our attendees for countless compelling reasons. Chicago doesn’t just offer exceptional facilities, venues, and skilled labor that bring spectacular events to life—it delivers an unmatched experience with its legendary cultural institutions, electrifying live music and sports scenes, and some of the warmest, most hospitable people you’ll encounter anywhere. I’m ecstatic that our attendees have played such a significant role in helping Chicago’s remarkable hotel community achieve this historic new record!”

From Sueños Music Festival to the Chicago Memorial Day Parade to neighborhood festivals like the Belmont-Sheffield Music Fest and Mayfestiversary, Chicago goes all out for Memorial Day Weekend, and Choose Chicago is the city’s resource for recommendations and tips for making the most of the holiday weekend. The travel momentum continues next month when Chicago will host the U.S. Travel Association’s IPW 2025, the largest international inbound travel trade show in the country. Choose Chicago is recruiting volunteers to help welcome the world during this all-important event for the tourism and hospitality industry—learn more and volunteer today!

###

About Choose Chicago: Choose Chicago is the official sales and marketing organization responsible for promoting Chicago as a global visitor and meetings destination, leveraging the city’s unmatched assets to ensure the economic vitality of the city, its residents and our partner business community. Follow @choosechicago on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and X/Twitter. For more information, visit choosechicago.com.