Building on his New Kentucky Home initiative, Gov. Andy Beshear has announced that 87 tourism marketing organizations located in 80 counties will be receiving $2 million through the Regional Marketing and Matching Funds Program.
“Kentucky’s $13.8 billion tourism industry is essential to our economic success, helping create vibrant communities that people love to visit and call home,” Beshear said. “This program helps tourism organizations by providing the marketing resources needed to showcase our commonwealth’s unique experiences and rich heritage, which will bring even more visitors to our New Kentucky Home.”
The breakdown of funding by region is as follows:
--$574,956 – Louisville Lincoln Region
--$361,123 – Bluegrass Region
--$257,969 - Western Waterland Region
--$233,048 – Northern Kentucky Tourism Region
--$197,775 – Cave Region
--$104,341 – Eastern Highlands South Region
--$98,094 – Green River Region
--$96,675 – Southern Kentucky Region
--$76,019 – Eastern Kentucky North Region
“The Kentucky Department of Tourism’s Matching Funds Program has helped further our access to new visitor markets and keep up with emerging trends in our industry,” said Bowling Green Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Sherry Murphy. “We are able to entice more visitation to our region, thereby increasing local economic impact from tourists. From small business-owners to restaurant entrepreneurs, the more visitors we can bring into our area, the more support is given to these important, community-building businesses. Tourism in Kentucky has become a positive and necessary building block for our state and region development.”
The Regional and Matching Funds Program, administered by the Department of Tourism, provides local nonprofit tourism organizations with financial assistance for marketing. The matching funds allow organizations to develop and implement marketing strategies, attract travelers and showcase the unique cultural, historical and natural attractions of their regions. From fiscal year 2022-2024, the program has distributed $5.5 million.
“In addition to the statewide impact, tourism significantly influences communities across the commonwealth, many of them rural,” said Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet Secretary Lindy Casebier. “We are thrilled to support our local tourism organizations in doing what they do best: promoting their communities and all they have to offer.”
For more information on the Regional Marketing and Matching Funds program and Kentucky Tourism, visit KentuckyTourism.com.
Photo LRC
