Comprehensive Tourism Market Assessment and Strategic Development Study Services

The City of Joliet is seeking comprehensive tourism market assessment and strategic development study services to support long-term tourism growth and community goals. The agency needs to identify market opportunities, destination development priorities, investment strategies, and implementation actions. This study must outline a strategic roadmap connecting market insights, priority projects, and organizational capabilities to actionable next steps. The scope of work requires a comprehensive inventory and assessment of tourism assets, visitor-serving amenities, lodging inventory, entertainment venues, cultural resources, recreational assets, and tourism-supportive infrastructure. The selected vendor must evaluate the visitor experience, including accessibility, wayfinding, parking, transportation connections, downtown walkability, visitor information services, and connectivity between key destinations. Additionally, the project involves identifying and prioritizing key target market segments and visitor origin markets, such as regional day-trip and weekend visitors, casino and entertainment travelers, sports tourism participants, cultural and heritage tourists, event and festival attendees, outdoor recreation users, group and motorcoach tours, business and meeting travelers, and visitors connected to local educational institutions. The agency requires recommendations for strategic pillars and focus areas to guide capital investment, experience development, and partnership strategies over the next five to ten years. The study must also recommend destination positioning and brand-aligned strategies that strengthen the identity and competitiveness of Joliet. Eligible bidders must be onshore organizations based in the United States. The performance of the work will take place offsite. Bidders must submit their responses digitally via email or online, and the agency is looking for proposal-based budget submissions. The agency will host a pre-bid meeting on June 15, 2026. All questions regarding this opportunity must be submitted no later than June 15, 2026.