On Monday, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet Secretary Mike Berry announced that Kentucky will allocate $75 million to boost the state’s tourism industry and economy following a decline in visitors brought on by the pandemic.
The Governor said the funding is crucial for the state’s $8.9 billion tourism industry, which supports economic growth in both rural and urban communities.
“Kentucky is a world-class tourism destination, full of unique experiences that travelers and Kentuckians alike travel far and wide to enjoy,” said Gov. Beshear. “Our tourism industry is critical to our economic success, and now is the time to invest and support our travel partners across the commonwealth as we see our economy booming and our communities and our people reaping the benefits.”
The $75 million funding from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) program of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was supported by the Governor and allocated by the General Assembly in the 2022 legislative session. The funding is divided into four pools and will be distributed to eligible tourism and destination marketing organizations that apply and show the impact COVID had on their group. Over the next several weeks, the Kentucky Department of Tourism will allocate this funding to eligible tourism organizations throughout the Commonwealth.
Press Release by Crystal Staley and Scottie Ellis, Media Team of the Governor