Rockford’s annual AirFest drew thousands to last year’s event at Rockford International Airport. The 2015 event is scheduled for June 5-6. (Winnebago Chronicle photo)

The Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau celebrated 30 years of tourism in Rockford at a luncheon last week while casting a vision for the next three decades.

“The economic value of tourism to our region has grown to more than $330 million annually, but what we are the most proud of is the enhanced quality of life that comes with it,” said John Groh, RACVB President and chief executive officer. “Studies continue to show that when communities draw visitors, they also draw residents and business, which helps to fuel the engine of vitality.”

The collective buy-in to form the RACVB in 1984 has proven fruitful as Winnebago County’s tourism industry generates more than $71 million in payroll, supported by $330 million in visitor spending.

The hospitality/leisure industry has led the Winnebago County Metropolitan Statistical Area as the fastest-growing sector in job creation with more than an 11 percent growth rate since 2011.

For the Rockford MSA, leisure and hospitality jobs are at a record level with approximately 13,900 jobs, accounting for 9.4 percent of total jobs in the market.

According to RACVB, the region’s collective quality of life has been enhanced by the addition of more than 20 new attractions and 18 new hotels, plus locally owned restaurants and retail shop.

New attractions in that span included: Aldeen Golf Club & Practice Center, Anderson Japanese Gardens, Sportscore Two/Indoor Sports Center, the Frank Lloyd Wright Laurent House, Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden, Davis Park, Riverfront Museum Park, Nygren Wetlands and Rockford City Market.

There have also been major expansions or renovations at Burpee Museum of Natural History, BMO Harris Bank Center and Coronado Performing Arts Center.

Among at the growth areas has also been to position the community as one of the country’s top destinations for amateur sports. Working with many partners, including the Rockford Park District, RACVB has led efforts to attract more than 150 sports tournaments to the region.

Initially led by the original Sportscore complex, the region’s sports tourism facility lineup now includes Sportscore Two, the Indoor Sports Complex, Harlem Community Center, Rockton Athletic Fields, several bowling centers, top-flight golf courses and the Rock River.

In 2016 will come a new 100,000 square foot riverfront sports complex and expansion of Sportscore Two and the Indoor Sports Center.

Building on the success of an ongoing Forest City Beautiful initiative and the success of Stroll on State, RACVB also announced its first public sculpture initiative.

Patterned after the successful Seasons of Sculpture in Sarasota, Fla, ( www.sarasotaseasonofsculpture.org) RACVB will bring world-class sculpture to downtown Rockford in 2015, with a long-term goal of creating a program that installs sculpture each year on a rotating basis.

“For many years, Rockford has had excellent, world-renowned sculpture throughout the city—especially along the riverfront at Sinnissippi Park,”  said Tana Vettore, RACVB director of destination development. “This new pilot program will bring color, vibrancy and excitement to downtown Rockford through public sculpture,”

Five sculptures, created by artists Hans Van de Bovenkamp ( www.vandebovenkamp.com) and Boaz Vaadia (www.vaadia.com), will be on loan to the community for one year. The pieces will be installed in late May.

To support ongoing initiatives such as Stroll on State, Forest City Beautiful and public sculpture installations, RACVB’s Board of Directors has authorized the establishment of the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Foundation, a 501 (c) 3 organization that will serve as a supporting entity to RACVB.