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Kentucky Posts Strong Tourism Growth for 2016

Lisa Autry

Bourbon, horses, and caves all helped Kentucky’s tourism industry post its strongest economic growth rate in more than a decade. 

Tourism had a $14.5 billion impact on Kentucky in 2016, up more than five percent from the previous year. Officials say it's the strongest overall economic impact growth rate since 2005, with each of the state's nine tourism regions showing increases. 

Following the announcement Monday at Corsair Distillery in Bowling Green, Tourism Commissioner Kristen Branscum credited the increase to marketing Kentucky as an ideal location for short getaways.

"What we've been trying to do over the past two years is marketing that says 'No weekend plans? Try some of ours,'" Branscum told WKU Public Radio.  "We want people to stop in for a weekend, and say 'There's no way I can do everything in one weekend, so I'm going come back.'"

Tourism generated more than $1.5 billion in taxes and supported nearly 193,000 jobs last year, up by about 7,000 from the previous year.  Branscum said the report shows that tourism is "a vital economic driver" for the state.

Lisa is a Scottsville native and WKU alum. She has worked in radio as a news reporter and anchor for 18 years. Prior to joining WKU Public Radio, she most recently worked at WHAS in Louisville and WLAC in Nashville. She has received numerous awards from the Associated Press, including Best Reporter in Kentucky. Many of her stories have been heard on NPR.
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