Chicago is a city with great hotels. But apparently not enough to host the 2016 Summer Olympics. So, it’s looking for help.
It’s not often that Chicago turns to Northwest Indiana for help, but it’s doing it now. The city needs to bolster the number of hotel rooms in its bid to the International Olympic Committee. With 42,000 rooms committed for the games in Chicago, the city needs 18,000 more. Porter County, Indiana tourism chief Lorelei Weimer says northern Indiana is glad to help but says the area offers more than just hotel space.
WEIMER: We bring seven counties that are working together in northern Indiana. We bring Amish country, the Indiana Dunes and Notre Dame. And, what we want to do is let the world know that we are going to join with Chicago, really put out that welcome mat and say we want you to be here and have a great time.
The Chicago 2016 Committee will visit Northwest Indiana tourism officials in the coming months to discuss lodging and other issues.