Haters can keep hating. Chicago tourists are back

There are a lot of Chicago haters out there.

Verbally slamming the city like a piñata has practically become a national pastime for some out-of-town politicians, former residents and suburbanites who love to tell anyone who crosses their paths how terrible it is here.

Who can forget Donald Trump’s rants or former gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey repeatedly characterizing Chicago as a “hell hole?”

Yes, the winters are tough, and now we’ve got to worry about attacks by Peregrine falcons. (And here we thought we just had to watch out for those pesky red-winged blackbirds.)

Chicagoans will concede there are much more serious threats to our safety. Yet, in spite of its very real flaws — dog-whistling politicians aside, the rampant gun violence is undeniable — and the babbling naysayers, there’s no denying it.

People love the Windy City.

We’re not just talking about the devotion of Chicago natives. It’s tourists, too.

The so-called Second City is No. 1 to many people who live close by and others who travel from miles away, who come to check out our cultural attractions, architecture and vibrant neighborhoods.

Sorry, all you cynics who keep saying everyone wants to stay away. They aren’t.

A whopping 60% more tourists — nearly 48.9 million domestic and international visitors — came to Chicago in 2022 compared to the year before, according to the tourism group Choose Chicago.

That’s almost 80% of the roughly 61 million guests who stopped by in 2019 before the city, along with the rest of the world, shut down due to the pandemic.

The nearly $17 billion out-of-towners shelled out while visiting last year is also 89% of the amount spent in 2019, the Sun-Times’ David Roeder recently reported.

If the tourists continue flocking to Chicago, the numbers will only go up, Choose Chicago President and CEO Lynn Osmond predicted.

Taylor Swift, NASCAR and Lollapalooza may not be everybody’s cups of tea, but they are big draws, which translates to big bucks and a much-needed boost downtown.

Chicago is still a sight to see. Even those who spend their time disparaging it can’t deny its appeal.

Before he became president, this is what Trump had to say about our city: “I love Chicago. I have big investments in Chicago, and I think it’s a great city.”

Indeed, it is glorious, and the statistics prove that million others agree.

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