DuPage tourism trying to create an image of its own

Published on : Thursday, July 27, 2017

DuPage’s closeness to Chicago has long been used by local tourism officials as a selling point for attracting visitors to the county’s shopping malls, downtowns and hotels.

This week, the DuPage Convention & Visitors Bureau launched a new brand and strategic direction for tourism involving marketing the county without depending too much on its proximity with Chicago.

Beth Marchetti, executive director of the bureau said, “We love Chicago. When Chicago does well, everybody does well. But as a $2.5 billion industry, we felt we had enough power to stand on our own and really talk about the DuPage brand.”

The rebranding represents the most significant effort to market DuPage in more than 16 years. It’s the culmination of more than a year of a strategic planning process called GPS: A Tourism Roadmap.

Marchetti said that it’s the right time to capitalize on the “special amenities” that set DuPage apart from other counties. It offers visitors miles of magnificent shopping, entertainment and dining opportunities. The brand launch is being supported by a comprehensive advertising campaign that includes digital, transit, and billboard components. The ads feature a new tagline: “DuMore in DuPage.”

“We will always be partners with Chicago,” Marchetti said. “But we just want to promote DuPage County because we feel we can start making a name for ourselves in the tourism world.” DuPage is home to the second-largest tourism industry in the state, featuring hundreds of businesses that employ more than 22,000 people.

Tourism officials are partnering with the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County to promote the county as a premier health and wellness, outdoor, and recreation destination.