A post-bicentennial drop in tourism numbers reduced attendance by more than a third at some Lincoln sites in Illinois this year.Hotel stays also fell.

But tourism and historic-site managers say the fall-off from the 200th anniversary celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s birth in 2009 was anticipated. They remain encouraged that numbers in most cases were ahead of 2008

In fact, year three of a six-year tourism and history promotion begins in January. The focus of “In the Shadow of a Giant” will be on Stephen A. Douglas, with events and exhibits planned at the Old State Capitol and the Lincoln Home National Historic Site.

“We are working hard on planning things that will get people to come in town and stay for three or four days. We want them to stay more than two days,” said Justin Blandford, site manager for the Old State Capitol complex.

While Douglas may be best known for his series of seven debates with Lincoln in the 1858 Senate campaign, Blandford said Douglas played a pivotal role throughout his life in Illinois history and politics.

The Douglas events also open the sesquicentennial celebration of Springfield’s role at the start of the Civil War in 1861 and Lincoln’s move to the White House. Events are planned each year through the 150th anniversary in 2015 of Lincoln’s assassination and return to Springfield for burial.

The 2009 bicentennial — highlighted by a visit from President Barack Obama for the 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth in February — has proven a hard act to follow when it comes to historic-site visits and overnight stays.

Even chronic delays in state-aid payments to schools appeared to play a role in the post-bicentennial slowdown.

“We saw a lot of family traffic and a lot of international visitors. We’ve seen a cutback in the number of school groups, and we’re not picking up the tour buses we might have been (in 2009),” said Blandford.

Room nights at Springfield hotels were down about 5.5 percent through the 2010 tourism season when compared with 2009, said Tim Farley, executive director of the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The expected drop-off from the bicentennial year and the economy both played a role, according to Farley.

“We’re comfortable with that (5.5 percent), as a lot of other areas were down by double digits,” said Farley.

He said historic-site and tourism officials are making their case with the Illinois Bureau of Tourism for continuing last summer’s “Living History” program of live reenactments, theater and musical performances at the Lincoln sites.

“We won’t need as much money this year, but this is a program that obviously works,” said Farley.

He said a lot of the start-up costs were covered in the first year.

The Lincoln Home National Historic Site faces the same kind of budget uncertainty as state tourism and historic-sites programs, said site superintendent Dale Phillips.

“We know we’re looking at some budget cuts going into the spring,” said Phillips. “We’re all in the same boat.”

Phillips said the Lincoln Home will remain a centerpiece for the Civil War sesquicentennial and Living History events. In fact, pieces of the Living History program have continued into this month.

Farley said, given the severity of the state’s financial problems, it is unlikely local tourism programs can count on the kind of funding received for the first two years.

Late payments also have been a problem for local tourism bureaus. Farley said local groups have discussed the possibility of combining funding sources to maintain the momentum of the bicentennial and Living History programs.

“It’s basically a regional and national draw for us. There’s a lot of negotiations going on,” said Farley. “We have the infrastructure, we have the bricks and mortar, and the people. We just need to keep it energized.”