State gives grant to Bluegrass Tourism Region

Published 4:22 pm Monday, February 27, 2023

NEWS RELEASE

Central Kentucky’s Bluegrass Tourism Region has been awarded $500,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds through the Kentucky Department of Tourism for a marketing and advertising campaign to attract new visitors to the area.

Gov. Andy Beshear presented the funds to representatives from the region during a ceremony in Lawrenceburg on Friday afternoon.

Email newsletter signup

“It is unprecedented for our region to receive a grant of this amount,” said Kendall Clinton, executive director of the Danville-Boyle County Tourism Office, which is part of the Bluegrass Tourism Region.

“Members from our area worked for several weeks to decide on a project that would put these funds to the best use possible in promoting our region and the idea we proposed in our application was apparently impressive since we were awarded the maximum amount available through this grant.”

Though the exact details of the campaign are still being developed, the theme will be “Joy Ride” and will involve a multi-faceted marketing and advertising strategy to build awareness and inspire potential visitors to plan trips to cities and counties in the Bluegrass Tourism Region.

In addition to the $500,000 from the grant, the tourism offices in the Bluegrass Tourism Region will also contribute a 10 percent match, bringing the entire project up to $550,000.

The region encompasses an area that includes Danville, Perryville, Stanford, Harrodsburg, Berea, Richmond, Nicholasville, Winchester, Lexington, Versailles, Lawrenceburg, Frankfort, Georgetown, Paris, Carlisle and Cynthiana. Tourism directors from this area meet monthly to discuss and implement ideas to increase visitor traffic throughout the region.

Learn more about the region at www.bluegrasskentucky.com.