Chicago Tourism SWOT Analysis: Strengths and Strategy

Introduction

Known as the City of Broad Shoulders, Chicago is one of the major cities of the United States and, as such, has a great deal to offer tourists. That is not to say that attracting visitors is always easy, as there are challenges that inhibit Chicago from being a premier destination. However, the city does reasonably well, attracting 54.1 million visitors in 2016 (Marotti, 2016). With a refined understanding of the strengths and weaknesses that Chicago has, the city can undertake a communications strategy that focuses on what attracts visitors and perhaps counter some of the negative messaging that exists.

Strengths

There are a number of obvious strengths that Chicago has as a city. The first is fundamental: it is a major city with high visibility and excellent transportation connections. O'Hare is one of the busiest airports in the world, handling 78 million passengers, with another 22 million passing through Midway (Wisniewski, 2017). Several Amtrak routes and interstate highways also pass through the city. While the airport traffic reflects the hub status of O'Hare in particular — and many people simply pass through — it makes Chicago an exceptionally easy city to reach and depart. There are connections throughout North America and around the world to almost all major cities. If someone chooses not to come to Chicago, it is not for lack of transportation options.

Another strength is that, because of its size, Chicago has excellent infrastructure. This includes tens of thousands of hotel rooms, conference facilities that hosted 31 major conferences in 2016, and a wealth of dining and entertainment options. Chicago is one of the more attractive cities in America for dining and entertainment, and most of its infrastructure is connected by public transportation, so visitors have no need to bring a car.

Chicago also scores well for its rich cultural life. This encompasses not only theaters and the arts, but also diverse neighborhoods and immigrant communities from around the world — bringing great cuisine, areas where visitors from any background will feel comfortable, and an increasing number of cultural events. The city's food scene is one of its top strengths and remains famous for its diversity. Consider the food festivals held throughout the city — Greek, Mexican, ribs and wings, and more — all showcasing the different immigrant communities that contribute to Chicago's vibrant cultural identity.

Events are naturally another strength. As the major city in the Midwest, Chicago is a major draw for events of all kinds. McCormick Place is America's largest convention center, enabling the city to host the biggest events. Chicago boasts teams in all major sports, hosts major conferences, and features numerous festivals throughout the summer. These attractions are among the key reasons why Chicago draws so many visitors.

The city also invests heavily in promotion. From a marketing perspective, Chicago benefits from having a budget large enough to get its message out. This is a meaningful advantage because having a marketing infrastructure allows Chicago to control some of the narrative surrounding the city. Smaller cities often struggle to control their own story, but Chicago is large and sophisticated enough that it can do so. This is a strength the city can draw on.

All told, the city itself is really its greatest strength. Chicago has a great deal to offer visitors and can provide diverse experiences that appeal to many different markets. If one were to draw up marketing personas for Chicago visitors, there would be dozens of them — which may present a marketing challenge, but ultimately showcases the city's tremendous appeal as a destination.

Weaknesses

Chicago has a couple of major weaknesses that can give potential visitors pause. While O'Hare is a strength in terms of traffic volume, the airport itself is not viewed favorably by travelers. Chicago is also unable to draw cruise ship traffic in the way that coastal cities like Boston, Vancouver, or Fort Lauderdale rely on to boost tourism numbers.

Weather is another significant weakness. The city cannot control its climate, and as a result it is a tourism draw for only certain months of the year. Winter visitor numbers are much lower, and some travelers even avoid the city in summer due to its reputation for humidity and stickiness. Given that physical infrastructure such as hotel rooms is limited, the city ends up at capacity during peak months and well below capacity for the rest of the year. The ideal scenario would be more evenly dispersed visitor traffic throughout the year.

Chicago has also faced substantial negative publicity regarding crime and corruption (Woody, 2017), two factors that would concern potential visitors. The crime is concentrated in specific areas — most of which are far from the tourist sites — but the negative publicity can affect tourism numbers, particularly when it influences decision-makers choosing cities for major conventions. In reality, most of the city is quite safe, and few visitors ever encounter the problems confined to certain neighborhoods.

The crush of people during peak months also makes Chicago an expensive destination. Its costs are not out of line with other major cities in terms of hotel rooms and dining, but they are high compared with other Midwest destinations, smaller cities, or cities with greater excess hotel capacity. Hotel rooms priced at $200 or more can be daunting for many visitors. This is not a weakness relative to New York or San Francisco, but against a destination like Orlando it is a genuine competitive disadvantage. For global travelers this may not be an issue, but it can create friction for regional visitors whose alternatives are cheaper (CNN Go, 2012).

References

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Cvent. (2017). Top 50 meeting destinations. Cvent. Retrieved September 26, 2017, from http://www.cvent.com/en/supplier-network/top-50/2016-top-destinations-us.shtml

Jenkins, J. M., Hall, C. M., & Mkono, M. Tourism and public policy: Contemporary debates and future directions. In Wiley Companion.

Marotti, A. (2016). Chicago's tourist tally hits 54.1 million visitors in 2016. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 26, 2017, from http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-chicago-tourism-increase-0106-biz-20170105-story.html

Strange, J., Brown, D., Hilbruner, R., & Hawkins, D. E. (n.d.). Tourism destination management. International Institute for Tourism Studies, The George Washington University. Retrieved from

Wisniewski, M. (2017). Flights down slightly but passenger numbers up at O'Hare, Midway. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 26, 2017, from http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-ohare-midway-flights-down-0127-20170126-story.html

Woody, C. (2017). Trump's favorite target for anti-crime rhetoric may not deserve its violent reputation. Business Insider. Retrieved September 26, 2017, from http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-chicago-feds-murder-rate-2017-7