NEWPORT, Ky. — Last year marked a record year for Kentucky tourism, drawing in nearly $14 billion in spending statewide according to the state’s Department of Tourism. The state said tourism led to more than 95,000 jobs.
Most of the tourism spending in Kentucky went toward food and beverage ($2.54 billion). State officials tout the state’s bourbon infrastructure as a major driver.
“It's been in our great state for over several hundreds of years,” said Mollie Lewis, president of New Riff Distilling.
While some might think of “bourbon country” as being farther south, Northern Kentucky has a rich history in the business. The region served as a hub for production, along with Cincinnati, before prohibition.
“During prohibition, it all fell apart,” Lewis said. “Northern Kentucky was basically forgotten as far as bourbon tourism and bourbon production for the latter half of the past 50 years.”
That’s since changed. Now, the region serves as a gateway to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
“Northern Kentucky is still a great secret,” she said. “But the secret is leaking out.”
Tourism brought in more than $2 billion to Kenton, Boone and Campbell counties last year.
“We need these millions of visitors coming in to keep our bars or restaurants full and provide base visitation for all these attractions,” said Julie Kirkpatrick, President and CEO of meetNKY.
Kirkpatrick said those visitors put new eyes on the region.
“New people thinking about moving here and new people thinking about investing here,” she said.
In Independence, Boone County Distilling Co. is reaping the reward. The business sees tourists from Australia, China and Japan, to name a few.
“I would say it's 80% out-of-town visitors and 20% from Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties,” said Boone County Distilling Co-Founder Josh Quinn.
Quinn said the industry in Northern Kentucky is a “hidden gem.”
Northern Kentucky tourism officials, like Kirkpatrick, say bourbon is only the tip of the iceberg. She points to other major attractions (like the Ark Encounter and Newport Aquarium) and events (Cincinnati’s Oktoberfest and the Taylor Swift concert) as drivers too.
“There's more and more stuff to do here every day,” said Lewis.
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