The state of Illinois broke records for tourism revenue during 2006, reports the Pontiac Daily Leader.
Livingston County saw an 8.8 percent increase. The reason?
“I think part of the increase in numbers for our county are related to the Route 66 phenomena,” Ellie Alexander, Pontiac’s tourism director, said about the Illinois figures. “The cooperation with the Red Carpet Corridor communities in advertising and events brings more awareness to our area. The museums in Pontiac, as well as the movie ‘Cars’, all contribute to the increased tourism numbers.”
“Cars,” an animated movie released in 2006 by Disney/Pixar, had as one of its working titles “Route 66,” according to the movie-related Web site imdb.com. One of the frequently asked questions on that site about the movie is “Was Route 66 a real highway?”