A few months ago, Pontiac Tourism director Ellie Alexander reported that tourism in Pontiac, Ill., was trending at a 30 percent higher level than in 2010.
Note I said “trending.” I was skeptical the numbers would remain at that lofty level, especially when the off-season was looming.
It turns out Alexander was either being modest in her claims, or underestimated Pontiac’s tourism staying power to close the year. In the calendar year 2011, Pontiac drew 19,065 visitors — a 40.65 percent increase over 2010’s total of 13,554. And, yes, that was a record.
The numbers come from head counts compiled by docents at the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum. It’s certain the actual number in Pontiac was higher, since a few of them didn’t go to the museum but checked out other attractions instead.
Interesting facts gathered from Alexander’s report:
- In 2010, Pontiac tourism rose about 20 percent, from 11,220 visitors the previous year.
- The busiest day in 2011 was July 23, when the new Pontiac-Oakland Automobile Museum opened. A total of 580 people visited that day.
- The Pontiac-Oakland Automobile Museum logged
about 7,000over 9,000 visitors in less than a half-year of being open. - Pontiac’s busiest months were May through October, with monthly visitor counts hovering at the 2,000 to 3,200 range.
- Visitors to Pontiac came from 57 nations.
- The later off-season months — November and December — showed much stronger visitor numbers than the early off-season months of January and February.
- In 2011, Pontiac averaged about 52 visitors a day. That doesn’t sound like a lot. But with many of them buying souvenirs or eating meals in town, that translates to probably thousands of dollars of revenue each day.
Alexander has said Pontiac’s multiple museums and the town courting tour companies were big reasons for the increase. But when asked in an email what one thing other Route 66 towns could do to boost visitor numbers, she came up with an interesting answer:
I’d have to go with hospitality. Just about every compliment we receive starts with the hospitality they received while visiting us. The friendly local smile and engagement by everyone from the docent at the museum, to the passer-by on the street, to the Mayor greeting them with a handshake goes a long way. Especially with the international visitors – they love the “Americana” feel they get here. They tell two friends, and they tell two friends, and so on and so on.
Alexander says she anticipates an even bigger influx of British visitors in 2012, because of the “Billy Connolly’s Route 66” program that aired in the United Kingdom in September and October.
We’ve also had visitors from the UK who have seen it, and are so very excited when they are on the bus, standing where Billy stood! They ask questions about our time with Billy and what he is like – he’s a real super-star in their eyes.
UPDATE: Alexander said Wednesday the Pontiac-Oakland museum didn’t include its opening-week numbers. The total number of visitors in 2011 there was 9,494.
(Photo of the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum, courtesy of Ellie Alexander)
And Ellie does a superb job as our tourism director.
Great reminder of the value of old-fashioned friendliness!
Well, make it 19,069, as we stopped through Pontiac on our way home from an Illinois Christmas visit. This was our second time running 66 from Springfield to Dwight. Last time, I drove right by/through Pontiac without even knowing the old downtown I’d read so much about was just a few blocks away. This time my wife noticed a small sign for the museum, and we turned around and went back. Neat town. We were there on Sunday, so didn’t have a chance to stop anywhere (most places were closed, which I was perfectly OK with…I think they should stick to their guns on that one), but did go down to the river front park so the wife and kids could walk across the swinging bridges in the 30 mph winds. We cruised the street looking at the murals, Bob’s school bus/home, etc. We will definitely stop back for a visit this summer, and make sure it’s on a Mon-Sat.
It’s good to have hard statistics like this. One only wishes that there were similar stats for points on the segment between Jackson and Michigan in Chicago and Joliet. That segment is an easy day trip for anyone visiting or living in Chicago, yet it gets virtually ignored except for one or two eateries plus the eastern terminus itself. Two colleagues and I have found more than 100 points of interest between Chicago and Joliet, and we’re still doing the research (we’re writing a new book on the original path of Route 66 in metro Chicago and what’s still there to see). With the new Historic Route 66 scenic byway wayside markers up in places like Berwyn and Willowbrook, one wants a better grasp of just how many people travel that segment of the road annually. It’s a selling point for the road if you can find such stats. We’re still looking. If anyone is aware of such numbers, please let me know.