McCracken County received the Economic Engine Award from the Kentucky Travel Industry Association (KTIA) during the Budget Review Subcommittee on Economic Development, Tourism, and Environmental Protection of the Interim Joint Committee on Appropriations and Revenue meeting this morning. The award is given to those counties in which tourism has had a significant impact on their local economy.

Tourism Works!, a compilation of community-level success stories produced by the Southeast Tourism Society (STS) features Paducah’s engagement with the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. The publication debuted at the STS Congressional Summit on Travel & Tourism in July.

Poland’s cities of Krakow and Katowice, Creative Cities of Literature and Music respectively welcomed the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) as hosts of the UCCN Annual Meeting, June 12-15, 2018.

Tourism spending in McCracken County grew to $233.9 million in direct expenditures in 2017 according to the 2017 Economic Impact of Kentucky Tourism Report. This represents an increase of 2.6% over 2016 and contributes to a total economic impact of $15 billion statewide.

Laura Oswald, Director of Marketing at the Paducah Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB), has completed the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Sustainable Tourism Training Program (STTP), earning the GSTC Certificate in Sustainable Tourism.

San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico, has invited Paducah to participate in a unique collaboration of UNESCO Creative Cities during the first artisanal and gastronomic festival “Sabores y Saberes,” February 2-5, 2018.

Mary Hammond, Executive Director, Paducah Convention and Visitors Bureau was recognized with the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce Summit Award for “literally putting our community on an international map.”

Joseph Robertia will travel to Paducah to present his book, Life with Forty Dogs: Misadventures of Runts, Rejects, Retirees, and Rescues. The public is invited to attend two free events to meet the author and purchase his book.

A film from Afghanistan documenting life in the remarkable ancient city of Bamiyan has won the Small World Film Festival’s top award for 2017.

Paducah will welcome five riverboats to the Port of Paducah in 2017 with approximately 30 total dockings scheduled between June 15 and mid-December.