Gov. Beshear says 2023 was another record year for tourism in Kentucky

GOVERNOR BESHEAR TODAY ABOUT THE RECORD GROWTH. 2022 WAS A RECORD YEAR ACROSS THE STATE OF KENTUCKY IN TERMS OF TOURISM. NOW, THE NUMBERS FOR 2023 ARE IN, AND ONCE AGAIN, THE STATE OF KENTUCKY HAS SET A RECORD FOR TOURISM FROM THE NEW TOURISM ECONOMIC STUDY REPORT THAT LAST YEAR, TOURISM GENERATED MORE THAN $13.8 BILLION IN ECONOMIC IMPACT. THE STATE OF KENTUCKY SAW A TOTAL OF NEARLY 80 MILLION TOURISTS IN 2023, A FOUR AND A HALF POINT INCREASE OVER 2022. AS TOURISTS CAME IN AND VISITED OUR BUSINESSES AND ATTRACTIONS, THEY SPENT $9.7 BILLION THAT STAYED IN OUR COMMUNITIES. THAT MONEY WAS SPENT ON LODGING, TRANSPORT AND RETAIL, BUT THE MOST WAS ON FOOD AND BEVERAGE. AT $2.5 BILLION. GOVERNOR BESHEAR ATTRIBUTES THAT SUCCESS TO THE BOOMING BOURBON INDUSTRY. WHEN I THINK OF KENTUCKY, I THINK OF HORSES, HORSE RACING, GREAT BOURBON, FRIENDLY PEOPLE, GREAT WEATHER. SO YEAH, MATTHEW MCKAY IS VISITING FROM SOUTH AFRICA WITH HIS WIFE AND FRIENDS. HE SAYS THEY’VE BEEN TRAVELING AROUND THE U.S. AND BOURBON IS WHAT BROUGHT THEM TO THE BLUEGRASS STATE. BUT WE’VE DONE ABOUT SORT OF SIX STATES IN THAT TIME. MY FAVORITE, WITHOUT A SHADOW OF A DOUBT. NOW, IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN BECAUSE OF THE BOURBON, BUT HONESTLY, THE WEATHER’S BEEN GREAT. IT’S A BEAUTIFUL PLACE. GREAT DRIVE DOWN HERE. EVERYONE’S BEEN SUPER FRIENDLY. WHILE THERE’S BOURBON IN BOTH RURAL AND URBAN AREAS, COUNTIES WITH A MAJOR CITY SAW THE BIGGEST ECONOMIC IMPACT AT JEFFERSON COUNTY. LED THE WAY WITH $4.2 BILLION IN FAYETTE COUNTY AND WARREN COUNTY WERE NOT FAR BEHIND. REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU LIVE, GOVERNOR BESHEAR SAYS IT WAS THE ENTIRE STATE THAT MADE THIS POSSIBLE. YOU ALL ARE THE PEOPLE WELCOMING THESE TRAVELERS INTO OUR STATE, AND YOU ARE HELPING THEM CREATE UNFORGETTABLE MEMORIES AND KEEP THEM COMING BACK TO THE COMMONWEALTH. SO I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FROM