Hospitality industry calls for clarity, raised capacity limits as part of pandemic recovery effort 

Representatives from Illinois’ hospitality industry urged Gov. JB Pritzker's administration and state lawmakers on Thursday to provide more clarity, expand vaccine eligibility and loosen COVID-19 restrictions so their members can begin the long process of recovering from the global pandemic.  

Cara Bader, chief of staff for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, told members of the Senate Tourism and Hospitality Committee Thursday the pandemic has had an “unprecedented” impact on the state’s convention centers, hotels, cultural institutions and restaurants, upending a “thriving tourism industry.”