Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Tourism is an international business, even in Springfield. The Illinois Office of Tourism this summer hosted a contingent of reporters and travel professionals from Japan. Visit Springfield director Scott Dahl said it was just one of ten to fifteen “familiarization tours” the state hosts annually.

Of course, the group saw such Chicago attractions as the Bean, but Dahl said they started in Springfield, and interest in Abraham Lincoln goes worldwide. And the presidential library and museum here was a big hit. “They found it immersive, they found it fascinating to learn more about Abraham Lincoln,” said Dahl.

The tour also included the Route 66 cities of Pontiac and Joliet. International travelers, Dahl said, can fly into Chicago, rent a car, and drive the length of the Mother Road, 300 miles of which are in Illinois, and which is observing its centennial this year.

The cultures of other countries include more vacation time than we Americans enjoy. And the guests from halfway around the world spend more time on visits, and they spend money, too.