[ithakas]

Like TUP said, I don't know how much it needs to be ignited. It seems to be doing well.

International tourism needs to be bolstered, but that won't happen overnight. Events like the Chicago Architectural Biennial help, as do things like the growing strength of Expo. I think the idea of an international theater festival is a great idea as well.

What the city really needs to advertise is its livability to young professionals/couples making $75-150k salaries but getting choked on cost-of-living in coastal cities. Also, artists and creatives slumming it in NYC/LA because it's where they 'need to be'.

Chicago's most marketable quality is big city livability, and it could easily become the US's Berlin if it starts attracting a greater amount of ambitious creatives and professionals who patronize things like film festivals and collect art. In turn, that will boost tourism. Look at how Berlin's share of international tourism has developed with its identity as a capital of experimentation in art.