Is anyone visiting Chicago?

In almost any newspaper or publication, you can find a story about police brutality and another shooting. However we don’t often think about the total effect violence can have on an area, but in his Chicago Tribune piece titled “Can Chicago tourism overcome image of crime, police brutality?” Robert Channick looks at a bigger picture.

Channick doesn’t dance around the point, instead he jumps right in by explaining that in 2016 Chicago might not attract as many visitors as a result of violence. I can appreciate that the subject is important and sometimes those issues need to be stated bluntly.

Channick respects the research that is needed for this issue and supplies data for readers to show the changing atmosphere in Chicago. He explains that a record-setting 51.7 million people visited Chicago in 2015, but already the number for 2016 are down.

Henry Hearteveldt is a travel industry analyst that Channick quotes about the obstacles that Chicago may be facing this year. By using trustworthy sources like an industry analyst, Channick builds the confidence that his readers have in him.

Some readers may appreciate that Channick references that film ‘Chi-raq’ directed by Spike Lee, which talks about the Black Friday protests in Chicago. Channick also points to something President Barack Obama said in a recent town hall. These points, although not particularly important, may have been seen by his audience.

Channick shifts his focus back to the hard data suggesting that Chicago is in trouble. He references a campaign called ‘Choose Chicago’, which was started by Mayor Rahm Emanuel in 2012. He continues to supply numbers and facts on the campaign, which must be focused on the long-run with their goal of 55 million visitors by the year 2020.

Channick keeps his opinion out of the story by supplying quotes from various sources, all of which help shed light on the issue he is focused on. By allowing many people to talk on the issue, it rounds out the picture for the reader. The article feels much more accurate because of how many people contributed to the information.

Channick wraps up the article by talking about the expansion of tourism offices for Chicago in Canada and Mexico. I like that he ends with this because it’s the first time that he shifts his lens to a broader view for readers to think about. Overall, Channick supplies the reader with great sources, good info, and a unique angle about the future of Chicago’s tourism industry.

Here is the article: Chicago's future of tourism