Visitor spending and visitation growth in Kentucky both increased in 2019 according to a study from Tourism Economics. In McCracken County, approximately 2.4 million visitor trips generated $189.9 million in direct expenditures, contributing to a $273.54 million total impact in 2019, an increase of 5.4 percent over 2018. The visitor economy in Paducah-McCracken County supports 2,495 jobs and generates $21.26 million in state and local taxes annually.
“Travel promotion is business development, and tourism plays a pivotal role in building our community and economy for the benefit and well-being of every resident," said Mary Hammond, Executive Director of the Paducah Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB). "The Paducah CVB is proud to promote all that our Creative City has to offer and to collaborate with many partners who are committed to strengthening the local visitor economy and the quality of life in our region."
Total visitor trips to and within the Commonwealth topped 74 million in 2019 with visitor spending climbing to nearly $8.0 billion statewide. Direct tourism-supported employment continued to expand, surpassing 68,500 jobs in 2019 and generating $800 million in state and local taxes. View the full 2019 Kentucky Tourism Economic Impact Report at kentuckytourism.com/
Representing both the U.S. and international destinations, Tourism Economics is a world leader in economic impact analysis, forecasts and consulting for the tourism sector. As Tourism Economics is utilized by many U.S. state tourism departments, one benefit to Kentucky is that report findings allow for a more accurate comparison with key competitors.
