Kentucky’s tourism industry – driven by Bluegrass beauty and the bourbon’s unceasing boom, among other factors – continues to grow, bringing more than $14.5 billion to the Commonwealth in 2016, state officials said today.
The Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet and the Department of Tourism said 2016 also posted the largest growth rate for tourism impact in 11 years, and that increase was seen throughout the state.
“A vibrant tourism industry means a vibrant Kentucky,” Kristen Branscum, commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Tourism, said in a statement. “The economic impact numbers for 2016 reinforce the fact that the tourism industry is a vital economic driver for Kentucky.”
State officials say tourism supports more than 190,000 jobs. Of the $14.5 billion the state says tourism brought in during 2016, $9.2 million was direct spending while $5.3 million was from “indirect expenditure,” which is calculated using analytic models. The breakdown for Fayette County for tourism impact during 2016 was $1.3 million in direct spending and just over $2 million in total impact.
“On the heels of the recent momentous success in our manufacturing and industrial sectors, it comes as no surprise that Kentucky is experiencing rapid growth in tourism as well,” said Gov. Matt Bevin. “Kentucky’s natural beauty is unparalleled, with countless trails, mountain peaks and waterways to interest any outdoorsman. Visitors to Kentucky also have unique opportunities to experience the excitement and pageantry of the horse industry, watch bourbon being made at one of our many distilleries, and learn of the Commonwealth’s rich heritage with visits to one of our many museums and memorials.”