"The upcoming session of the Kentucky General Assembly is an odd year "short session," and legislators will encounter a short, yet important, list of tourism issues.
Leading the way will be two appropriation amendments to the state's budget to provide the Kentucky Horse Park with funding critical to the success of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in 2010. According to Horse Park Executive Director John Nicholson, "Our 19th-century roads need to be brought into the 21st century."
The estimated price tag for upgrading and expanding the Horse Park's roads is approximately $10 million, according to Nicholson. In addition to the road work, legislators will also be asked to provide funding for a new outdoor stadium. The stadium's permanent seating capacity will be 10,000, but the design provides for expandable capacity as high as 30,000 to 35,000, depending on the needs of a particular event. Nicholson projects that the stadium cost will be $20 million.
Kentucky Department of Tourism Commissioner Randy Fiveash explained that the Horse Park needs the road improvements and stadium, even if the Games were not going to be held there, but also noted that in the absence of the Games, "We'd all have a very difficult time with justification."
Nicholson and Fiveash both place heavy emphasis on the before and after value of the Games. Fiveash described qualifying events that will be held in advance of the Games, and Nicholson often cites the long-term economic value of infrastructure improvements and heightened awareness of the Horse Park that will attract other event organizers long after the Games have concluded. They each also point out that although there is significant public value to the Games and related Horse Park improvements, public dollars will not be the sole source of funding for those improvements. Major private support is coming from the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation, including the expansion of the Park's stables, and the cost of any enhancements of a temporary nature needed for the Games will be covered by the World Equestrian Games.
Kentucky's statewide tourism industry will be an ally in the Horse Park's efforts to secure funding from the legislature. Kentucky Tourism Council (KTC) Executive Director Marcheta Sparrow, noting that her organization has not yet received the specific proposals, which are still under development, was nonetheless unequivocal in stating, "We will support the Horse Park's efforts." The Kentucky Tourism Council, which has 575 travel and tourism companies as members, is the state's leading private sector tourism education, marketing and lobbying trade organization. Sparrow, a long-time Kentucky tourism veteran, places a high priority on maintaining and improving the Horse Park.
"We need to keep that facility competitive with others from around the country. Common sense tells you that we need to stay on the cutting edge," Sparrow said.
As far as other tourism issues legislators will encounter, Sparrow described her group's concerns about an effort to amend the state's "tip-credit law." Under current law the state's restaurants are permitted to pay their servers below minimum wage due to their receipt of tips. The current minimum hourly rate under the tip-credit law is $2.13. A pre-filed bill to raise Kentucky's minimum wage also contains language eliminating the tip-credit provision. KTC takes the position that requiring a jump from $2.13 to the proposed $5.15 per hour would significantly and unnecessarily harm Kentucky's restaurants.
Sparrow wants to be sure that the tourism industry's perspectives are heard and responded to in the upcoming debate. "We want to come to some kind of understanding so that Kentucky's tourism industry is at the table and considered," she said.
One other issue that may be resurrected from previous sessions is to require that school systems not begin classes until after the end of August. Increasingly earlier school starting dates have cut into students' summer employment opportunities, many of which are provided by tourism-related businesses. Early back-to-school dates also prematurely end the summer travel season for many families. Sparrow is quick to note that the KTC and others who support the organization's position are not seeking less classroom time for Kentucky's students, but only schedule adjustments that, over the course of an academic year, will allow for a later starting date while preserving the same number of days in the classroom. The KTC does not intend to introduce legislation on this issue during the upcoming session but will follow the issue and lend support if a bill is introduced.
Stepping back from the specific tourism issues that will find their way to Frankfort this session, I can't help noting the contrast between Kentucky's tourism industry and that at the national level. Insiders will tell you that, more often than not, the national travel and tourism industry tends to lack the unity necessary to have an effective voice in Congress. Too many disparate agendas by a confederation of industry segments allows congressmen to fearlessly look the other way when the industry comes calling. On the other hand, Sparrow's assessment of Kentucky's tourism advocacy is, "Overall, we are very cohesive and very effective when we get behind an issue."
National tourism leaders would do well to note the Kentucky example of an industry that has its legislative act together.
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