# Kentucky tourism sets record with $14.6 billion economic impact **Published:** 2026-06-11T12:55:29.000Z **Source:** [KY Tourism, Arts & Heritage Cabinet](https://kentucky.gov/Pages/Activity-stream.aspx?n=TAH&prId=343) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/kentucky-tourism-sets-record-with-14-6-billion-economic-impact FRANKFORT, Ky. — Gov. Andy Beshear announced 2025 was Kentucky's best year for tourism ever, as the industry set a record for economic impact at $14.6 billion and supported nearly 97,000 jobs. It's the fourth straight record year for Kentucky tourism, according to an announcement from the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet. The achievement reflects sustained growth in the sector over recent years, with 2024 generating $14.3 billion in economic impact and supporting 97,394 jobs; 2023 with more than $13.8 billion in economic impact; and 2022 with $12.9 million in economic impact. Tourism Economics found that 81.1 million people visited Kentucky in 2025, 1.1 million more than the year before, with statewide visitor spending reaching $10.4 billion, a $300 million rise compared to 2024. Visitors spent the most money on food and beverages at $2.7 billion, followed by lodging at $2.4 billion, $2 billion on transportation in the state and $1.9 billion on retail, with recreational and entertainment spending at around $1.4 billion. "Another historic, record-breaking year for tourism is more proof that we're reigniting the American Dream in Kentucky by creating jobs, driving investment and fueling economic growth across the commonwealth," Beshear said. Tourism is up because of attractions like the bourbon industry, horse racing, state parks, downtown districts and major events. Despite headwinds with international travel, Kentucky successfully pivoted to drive more domestic visitation throughout 2025. In 2025, Gov. Beshear announced five new tourism development projects, generating an estimated $118 million in economic investment and expected to create approximately 298 jobs when operational. Since the beginning of the Beshear administration, 37 tourism development projects totaling an estimated investment of $1.1 billion have received final approval and are expected to create more than 5,000 jobs once operational. ## Sources - [KY Tourism, Arts & Heritage Cabinet](https://kentucky.gov/Pages/Activity-stream.aspx?n=TAH&prId=343) - [Spectrum News 1 coverage of 2025 Kentucky tourism record](https://spectrumnews1.com/ky/louisville/news/2026/06/10/kentucky-tourism-record) - [Lane Report analysis of Kentucky tourism records](https://www.lanereport.com/188102/2026/06/kentucky-tourism-is-breaking-records/) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from KY Tourism, Arts & Heritage Cabinet, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://kentucky.gov/Pages/Activity-stream.aspx?n=TAH&prId=343.