Lawrence Co. Tourism Commission chairman says he is glad we have a state government that believes in tourism
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 4, 2022) – Today, Gov. Andy Beshear and Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet Secretary Mike Berry announced Kentucky tourism exceeded 2021 expectations with a total economic impact reaching $11.2 billion, generating 83,100 jobs across the commonwealth.
“Kentucky is no longer a flyover state. We are the destination, and travelers from all over the world are choosing the Bluegrass as their next adventure,” said Gov. Beshear. “Tourism is essential to the overall success of our commonwealth, and I am proud that Team Kentucky has invested in this industry to help fuel recovery.”
According to a study from Tourism Economics, in 2021, travel confidence rebounded from the COVID-19 pandemic in Kentucky, with total visitation recovering to approximately 96% of 2019 volumes. Visitor trips to the commonwealth reached 70.5 million, generating $808 million in state and local taxes, which is a $462 tax savings for every household in Kentucky.
“This upward trend is a positive sign for the future of tourism in the commonwealth,” Secretary Mike Berry said. “The tourism industry took a hard hit during the pandemic, but because of the Beshear administration’s investments and ongoing commitment to promote Kentucky as a safe travel destination, we are witnessing a rapid recovery.”
In July, the Governor announced $75 million in funding that will further strengthen the tourism industry’s promotional and advertising efforts and give the commonwealth the boost to surpass pre-pandemic numbers.
Lawrence County is one of the 88 counties receiving a portion of the $75 million in Tourism monies.
Lawrence County Economic Director Vince Doty said Lawrence County is right on top of the funding opportunities being spent on Tourism in Kentucky.
“For the last several years Kentucky Tourism has grown into an economic success for the state. We are thankful for the all the funds and grants the state of Kentucky offer so tourism can prosper,” Doty said. “During this time Lawrence County has seen a dramatic increase in tourism and with this increase our county has benefited financially.”
He said Lawrence County has experienced growth in attractions and after Covid slowed down it is even better than ever.
He issued this statement Friday:
“…Our Lawrence County Wilderness Park has more than 30,000 visitors a year. Yatesville Lake State Park offers camping, boating and golfing which brings in tens of thousands of visitors yearly and there is also wonderful campgrounds and cabins in Fallsburg. Lawrence County Judge Executive Phillip Carter and the fiscal court as well as Lawrence County Tourism have been trying to create more attractions and events to bring more visitors to our beautiful county. We now have a county fair that brings in thousands of people and Lawrence County Septemberfest has always drawn thousands of people every year. We are proud to work together with Lawrence County Tourism, the City of Louisa and all our wonderful communities. We have always said that there is no other county in the state with a comparable population as ours that offers as much as we have here. There is no better place to live in the state than right here.”
“On behalf of the Lawrence County Tourism Commission we are thankful that our state government values tourism. We are excited to see more interest in the promotion of our beautiful county, city and communities,” LC Tourism Commission chairman Wes Kingsmore said.
“We are extremely excited to see Kentucky’s tourism industry rebounding and approaching pre-pandemic numbers,” Kentucky Department of Tourism Commissioner Mike Mangeot said. “We still have a long way to go, but these numbers are very optimistic, and it reminds us how strong and essential the tourism industry is to Kentucky.”
Doty said he has had meetings with Lawrence Co. Tourism Committee on what to use the funding for.
Kingsmore says LC Tourism is growing and efforts are being made to improve and look at more avenues for local tourism. “As a Commission we are exploring ways we can utilize our portion of this funding that is available,” Kingsmore said. “The guidelines for the available monies are very defined.”
Kentucky’s economic recovery over the last year is a reflection of the Beshear administration’s continued investments in the tourism industry. Throughout the pandemic, the commonwealth has invested more than $13 million in the tourism industry to strengthen promotional and advertising efforts and to encourage safe travel to Kentucky through the development of new marketing campaigns.
Previously, the Governor dedicated $5.3 million in federal funding to 103 tourism and destination marketing organizations in 88 Kentucky counties.
“I personally believe we (Lawrence Co. Tourism) are headed in the right direction and intend to do our best to make our community a place that people want to visit,” Kingsmore said. “I also believe that just as important as attracting visitors is for us to strive to make Lawrence County a better place to live, work and play.”
For more information and to view the full economic impact report, please visit kentuckytourism.com/industry.
So much Winning