Discover Downstate Illinois: New Brand Identity Announced by Local Tourism Bureau

For more than a decade, ILLINOISouth Tourism has grown its awareness throughout the region as it helps promote communities, businesses, attractions, and events in their 20-plus county coverage area of Southern Illinois. Today the bureau is announcing that after ten years of being known as ILLINOISouth, they are rebranding to Discover Downstate Illinois, which will take effect immediately.

“This is a project that we have been working on very diligently over the last eleven months,” explains Darlene Chapman, President/Finance Director for Discover Downstate Illinois. “This journey has included surveys, countless brainstorm sessions, focus groups, and we took all of that information and came up with a new identity that we are very proud of. We believe that it describes our area of the state perfectly, and it allows us to keep expanding our reach in years to come.”

Aside from the name change, Discover Downstate Illinois has a new look as well – complete with updated logo designs and a new color scheme. The bureau has also refreshed their website, which can now be found at downstateil.org. Another exciting piece of news for the bureau is that they recently released their new-look 2023 Visitors Guide, which is the 20^th edition of the publication.

“We are elated to be able to time the release of our 2023 Visitors Guide in conjunction with our new brand launch,” says Andy Waterman, Communications Director for Discover Downstate Illinois. “This year’s guide features fun segments that highlight our 20^th edition. Folks can read about 20 things to do under $20 or learn about 20 notable events in our region. We’ve also peppered in interviews with past employees, past board members, and tourism partners who have helped build the bureau over the past two decades into what it is today. We have added in more editorial so that not only is this a guide with some great travel ideas, but it’s also more like a magazine that folks can look to for a few stories,” Waterman adds.

Discover Downstate Illinois is the largest geographic tourism bureau in the state and currently covers the following counties: Bond, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Crawford, Cumberland, Edwards, Fayette, Hamilton, Jasper, Lawrence, Marion, Monroe, Perry, Randolph, Richland, St. Clair, Wabash, Washington, Wayne, White, and the City of Highland.