Tourists Spent $191.4M in Oak Park in 2012: Report

American travelers spent $191.4 million in 2012 to eat, sleep, drive and play in Oak Park, accounting for about 37.5 percent of the $509.7 million spent in Oak Park and western Cook County, according to a recent report prepared for Visit Oak Park. 

The U.S. Travel Association report includes traveler spending data for Oak Park and western Cook County, including 21 municipalities in the area, for 2011 and 2012, as well as employment, payroll income and state and local tax revenue.

Spending in the western Cook County region, which includes Oak Park and 21 municipalities in the area, increased 6.4 percent from 2011. Spending increased 5.7 percent in Oak Park alone, according to the report. 

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The foodservice industry benefited the most from visitors to the area, who spent $213 million in 2012. Visitors in Oak Park, specifically, spent $48 million, according to the report. 

Oak Park benefitted most from auto transportation expenditures, which represented about 27 percent of overall traveler spending in 2012.  

Tom Lynch, president and CEO of Visit Oak Park, told Oak Leaves the report contained some "impressive" data. 

Below is the breakdown of how travelers spent money in Oak Park:

• Auto transportation: $51.3 million
• Food service: $48 million
• Entertainment and recreation: $35.1 million
• General retail and trade: $28 million
• Public transportation: $15 million
• Lodging: $14.1 million