Chicago scrambles to boost tourism after 2008 dip

City, businesses hope to reverse last year's dip By Kristen Schorsch | Tribune reporter Snug in sweat shirts aboard the top floor of a double-decker bus, Ian Haskell pointed out to his sons the iconic images of the area he grew up in as their ride wrapped around downtown Chicago. Four-year-old David and his brother, 7-year-old John-Saul, peered through the bus' metal railings as the Chicago Water Tower and the John Hancock Center appeared before them. "Get the John Hancock Tower," John-Saul called to his mother, Laurie Haskell, 47, who was armed with a digital camera. "Try to, Mama." Fighting a nasty economy and a dip in tourism last year, Chicago wants to attract families like the Haskells. They considered vacationing at Virginia Beach or Washington, D.C., but the lure of a big city only around 300 miles from their... [read full story]                    

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