Gov. Beshear: Kentucky Tourism Generated $14.3 Billion in Economic Impact, More Than 97,000 Jobs in 2024, Making It the Best Year on Record
Kentucky tourism achieved third consecutive record year of economic impact
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (June 11, 2025) – Today, building on the New Kentucky Home initiative, Gov. Andy Beshear announced that 2024 marked a new record year for Kentucky tourism, with $14.3 billion generated in economic impact supporting 97,394 jobs, as tourism remains a key piece of the commonwealth’s booming economy.
The Governor joined state tourism leaders at the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory to celebrate the third straight record-breaking year for tourism in Kentucky.
“Kentucky’s tourism industry is experiencing the biggest historic winning streak we’ve ever seen. Thanks to the hardworking people in this industry and Team Kentucky’s ongoing investment in tourism, we’re welcoming more people to our New Kentucky Home and celebrating three straight years of record-breaking economic impact,” said Gov. Beshear. “This win is more than just numbers; it’s about families creating lasting memories and our communities thriving. Together, we will keep this momentum going and showcase what makes Kentucky so special.”
According to a study by Tourism Economics, 80 million travelers visited Kentucky in 2024. Those travelers spent a total of $10.1 billion across the state, a 3.8% increase over 2023. The breakdown of spending is as follows:
- $2.6 billion on food and beverage,
- $2.4 billion on lodging,
- $1.9 billion on transportation,
- $1.9 billion on retail, and
- $1.3 billion on recreation and entertainment.
“Tourism is an integral part of Kentucky’s economy, creating jobs, building tax revenue and infusing energy into communities across the commonwealth,” said Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet Secretary Lindy Casebier. “These numbers emphasize tourism’s important role in our state and reflect the dedication and hard work of tourism and hospitality professionals throughout Kentucky. As more and more travelers discover the incredible attractions of our state, we look forward to welcoming many additional folks to our New Kentucky Home in the future.”
“The tourism industry in Kentucky remains hard at work creating unparalleled experiences and lasting memories for travelers,” said Tourism Commissioner Mike Mangeot. “We’re thrilled that more visitors than ever are choosing to make Kentucky part of their travel plans. Every decision to explore our attractions, dine in our restaurants, stay in our hotels and shop in our communities is an investment in the people and places that make Kentucky a one-of-a-kind destination.”
“This record-breaking growth means more guests seeing The Big Bat, more energy in downtown Louisville and more opportunities to grow our team and create lasting experiences,” said John Hillerich IV, president & CEO of Hillerich & Bradsby Co., which owns and operates Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory. “Since opening the museum in 1996, we’ve seen nearly 7 million guests visit us. We couldn’t be more proud to be part of what makes Kentucky unforgettable, and we’re grateful for the continued investment that keeps our tourism industry strong.”
Brooke Vaughn, owner and founder of Please & Thank You, emphasized how tourism helped elevate her local business: “Louisville tourism helped put Please & Thank You on the map, attracting national acclaim for our hospitality and the title of Best Cookie Shop in the USA.”
Cleo Battle, president and CEO of Louisville Tourism, highlighted the importance of investing in tourism and the impact a strong industry has on the state: “A robust tourism industry is vital to enhancing the state of Kentucky. As the commonwealth’s largest city, Bourbon City plays a pivotal role in attracting visitors from around the globe with our rich history, iconic attractions, bourbon culture, culinary buzz and world-renowned events and festivals. This influx of tourists drives local and regional economic growth by supporting area businesses and creating jobs. Louisville’s tourism industry generates $4.4 billion in economic impact, supporting 28,460 tourism industry jobs in Jefferson County alone. These numbers underscore the critical importance of continued investment in tourism marketing, infrastructure and workforce development to ensure Louisville and Kentucky remain a premier destination and economic engine.”
To see a full list of economic impact and jobs by county, click here.
Kentucky’s impressive economic success over the last five years is a direct reflection of the Beshear administration’s continued investments in the tourism industry.
To capitalize on Kentucky’s historic economic momentum and record-breaking tourism success, Gov. Beshear announced New Kentucky Home, a strategic initiative to further drive economic investment, attract and retain talent and increase tourism across the commonwealth.
Last year, the Governor announced that 2023 was the best year on record for tourism, with $13.8 billion in economic impact and 95,222 jobs. This followed a record-breaking 2022 when he announced that tourism had generated more than $12.9 billion in economic impact and secured 91,668 jobs in Kentucky that year.
In January, Gov. Beshear announced that 87 tourism marketing organizations across 80 counties are receiving $2 million through the Regional Marketing and Matching Funds Program.
In December 2024, Gov. Beshear announced that the commonwealth achieved another historic milestone, marking a new record with 10 new tourism development projects set to generate an estimated $256 million in private investment. These projects also are expected to create 1,696 jobs once operational.
The state’s bourbon and spirits industry recorded its best year for growth in 2022, with over $2.1 billion in new investments and approximately 700 new jobs for Kentucky residents. The sector followed with a strong 2023, including $713.8 million in new investments and 229 full-time jobs. Since the start of his administration, Gov. Beshear has announced roughly 100 new location and expansion projects within the bourbon and spirits sector, contributing to over $4.2 billion in new investments and more than 1,800 full-time jobs for Kentuckians.
In 2022, Gov. Beshear announced $75 million in ARPA funding to boost the state’s tourism industry and economy. Previously, the Governor dedicated $5.3 million in federal funding to 103 tourism and destination marketing organizations in 88 Kentucky counties.
Since the beginning of his administration, Gov. Beshear has announced more than 1,100 private-sector new-location and expansion projects totaling over $35 billion in announced investments, creating more than 60,500 jobs. This is the highest investment figure secured during the tenure of any governor in the commonwealth’s history and $14 billion more than the next highest total.
In addition, 33 tourism development projects totaling an estimated investment of $1 billion have received final approval. Once operational, these projects will create roughly 4,825 jobs. This is the highest investment figure secured during the tenure of any governor in the commonwealth’s history.
About Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory
A premier attraction in Louisville, the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory has drawn over six million guests to its storied halls. Displaying the world’s largest baseball bat and a vault showcasing over 3,000 original bat models, the museum invites guests to experience baseball lore up close and see how the iconic bat is made from start to finish. Families, schools and groups enjoy award-winning tours, interactive exhibits and personalized bats. The museum was just recently named one of USA Today’s Top 5 Attractions for Sports Fans Readers Poll. For more information on the museum and hours, please visit sluggermuseum.com.
For more information and to view the full economic impact report, please visit: kentuckytourism.com/industry.
###
Gov. Beshear Provides Team Kentucky Update
FRANKFORT, Ky. (June 12, 2025) – Today, Gov. Andy Beshear provided an update on economic development, a record-breaking year for tourism, Juneteenth, updates from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, steps taken to fight federal cuts to AmeriCorps and SNAP and severe weather recovery. The Governor acknowledged Women Veterans Recognition Day and named women veterans as this week’s Team Kentucky All-Stars.
Economic Development
Yesterday, the Governor joined Norton Healthcare in Louisville to announce its plans to build a new pediatric care campus that will include a full-service hospital for children with complex medical needs, research facilities and expanded specialty services. The project marks a major expansion for the Louisville-based health care system and will feature its second free-standing, dedicated children’s hospital. The new hospital is expected to employ more than 1,000 people, making this Kentucky’s largest jobs announcement of 2025.
Gov. Beshear highlighted new momentum within the state’s manufacturing sector as Commercial Specialty Truck Holdings, a privately held manufacturer of refuse and concrete mixer truck bodies, announced plans to expand operations at the company’s headquarters in Cynthiana, a $7.5 million investment that will create 50 full-time, Kentucky jobs.
Tomorrow, the Governor will join local officials and company leadership from BE&E to break ground on the company’s new $16.2 million facility. The Muhlenberg County operation, which will be located in the Paradise Regional Industrial Park, will create 250 new Kentucky jobs.
Since the beginning of his administration, Gov. Beshear has announced nearly 1,200 private-sector new-location and expansion projects totaling over $35 billion in announced investments, creating more than 61,000 jobs.
Tourism
Gov. Beshear announced that 2024 marked a new record year for Kentucky tourism, with $14.3 billion generated in economic impact supporting 97,394 jobs, as tourism remains a key piece of the commonwealth’s booming economy. The Governor joined state tourism leaders at the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory yesterday to celebrate the third straight record-breaking year for tourism in Kentucky.
Juneteenth
The Governor said there will be no Team Kentucky update next week, June 19, as the commonwealth will be recognizing Juneteenth as an executive branch holiday. Following the Governor’s executive order last year, Kentucky is officially marking Juneteenth as an executive branch holiday for the second time.
“This is an important day in our history as Americans. A day where we stand united in acknowledging our past, and our nation’s greatest injustice. A day where we honor the collective courage of African Americans who paved the way for real, meaningful change. And a day where we give thanks that the moral arc – at long last – bent toward justice,” said Gov. Beshear. “I hope everyone will join me in spending Juneteenth as a day of reflection, remembering how far we’ve come and acknowledging that the fight for progress marches on.”
Text Message Scam Alert
The Governor warned Kentuckians of a popular scam consisting of fraudulent text messages impersonating state agencies. The scam messages warn customers of unpaid traffic tickets and say that a “DMV violation” will be reported and “driving privileges” will be suspended if payment is not sent immediately.
If you receive one of these texts, do not click the link. Even if the web address looks like it belongs to a government agency, the text is a scam. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet does not collect traffic ticket fees or notify customers of violations, and Team Kentucky is taking appropriate steps to have the fraudulent websites taken down.
Driver Licensing
The Governor shared that currently, over 39% of Kentuckians have REAL IDs, compared to 33% at the end of last year. TSA reports that 93% of those going through checkpoints at Kentucky-based airports are REAL ID compliant. To learn more about getting your REAL ID, visit realidky.com. Remember, a passport, passport card, global entry card, military ID and Veteran Health Identification Card are among the several forms of REAL ID compliant identification.
Since House Bill 15 went into effect, which lowered the age at which Kentuckians can obtain a drivers permit from 16 to 15 years old, 15,403 15-year-olds have successfully passed the written test and obtained their driving permit.
AmeriCorps and SNAP
The Governor updated Kentuckians on steps his administration is taking to fight harmful cuts from the federal government. Last week, the Governor, along with several state attorneys general and another Governor, secured a preliminary injunction in a legal challenge against President Trump’s attempt to dismantle AmeriCorps, the nation’s public service agency. This means the federal government must restore funding for AmeriCorps programs.
This week, the Governor sent a letter to Kentucky’s Congressional delegation outlining his concerns with proposed cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). More than 600,000 Kentuckians rely on SNAP to supplement their food budgets every month. This represents 13% of the commonwealth’s population, or roughly 1 in every 8 Kentuckians. The Governor said cuts to the program would leave Kentuckians hungry. He urged Kentucky’s federal delegation to consider the impact cuts would have on Kentucky’s children, seniors, individuals with medical conditions, disabilities and those still recovering from disasters.
Severe Weather Recovery
Gov. Beshear provided an update on severe weather recovery in the commonwealth. For the May 16-17 severe weather and tornadoes: Click here for a list of Disaster Recovery Centers open to those affected and click here for a fact sheet on how to apply for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance. Since the commonwealth received approval, FEMA has disbursed over $1.4 million in assistance. The deadline to apply for disaster assistance is July 23, 2025.
For the May event, there currently are still five injured people at the University of Kentucky Hospital: one in critical condition, one in serious condition and three in good condition. At Levi Jackson Wilderness Road Park, 93 households are being housed in travel trailers.
For residents in Caldwell, Laurel, Pulaski, Russell, Trigg and Union counties who were affected by severe weather on May 16, today is the last day you can apply for Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) benefits. If you haven’t yet applied, call 1-855-306-8959 before 4:30 p.m. EDT. As of June 10, 186 households had been approved for benefits totaling over $131,000.
The contractor hired by Laurel County has collected 13,566 cubic yards of debris for disposal. The city of London is handling its own debris removal within city-maintained properties.
For the April floods, so far, more than $22 million in Individual and Households Assistance has been disbursed. The deadline to apply has been extended to July 25, 2025.
For February severe weather, more than $47 million in federal assistance has been disbursed. The deadline to apply was May 25, 2025.
Gov. Beshear reminded Kentuckians and anyone else who would like to help that the Team Kentucky Storm Relief Fund is open for monetary donations. Funds will help to support recovery including paying for funeral expenses for those lost in disasters. To donate, click here. So far, the fund has raised more than $1.9 million in donations from 7,128 donors, including a generous $150,000 donation from Shop Local Kentucky.
Team Kentucky All-Stars
The Governor acknowledged Women Veterans Recognition Day and named women veterans as this week’s Team Kentucky All-Stars.
“We recognize and celebrate the incredible women who sacrificed their time and their health, and often faced danger to protect us,” said Gov. Beshear. “Women have proudly served this country for generations. But it was not until after World War II that women were able to serve as permanent members of the armed forces and officially be recognized as veterans. We are committed to telling their stories and ensuring they are never forgotten.”
###
|
