The Paducah Hospitality Association (PHA) hosted its Annual President’s Awards Dinner on January 8, 2019 at River Discovery Center. Ed Musselman, The Coke Plant, and Kijsa Housman, MAKE Paducah, were featured speakers.

Paducah representatives promoted the city as a destination for international visitation during the 7th annual Travel South USA Showcase in Nashville, Tennessee.

The 78th annual running of the National Retriever Club (NRC) Championships, an American Kennel Club event for retrievers, is set to take place November 10-17 at the West Kentucky Wildlife Management Area.

Paducah, KY is celebrating its fifth anniversary as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Creative City of Crafts & Folk Art. Since its designation in 2013, Paducah has boosted the local economy through tourism promotion, made invaluable relationships with cities around the world and brought global experiences and opportunities to the region.

In celebration of the fifth anniversary of Paducah’s designation as a UNESCO Creative City, Paducah is collaborating with fellow Creative Cities for a special cinematic showcase during the 2018 River’s Edge International Film Festival.

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.

The Kentucky Travel Industry Association (KTIA) recognized Paducah Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) destination marketing efforts with three 2016 Traverse Awards at the KTIA Traverse Awards Gala in Lexington, Kentucky on November 2.

Paducah representatives Mary Hammond, CDME, Executive Director of the Paducah Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Bonnie Browning, Executive Show Director of the American Quilter’s Society, recently

The Paducah Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) announces Becky Straley as the organization’s new Director of Convention Sales. In this role, Straley will support the CVB’s efforts to promote Paducah as a destination as she prospects for conventions and meetings to increase tourism economic impact.

Mary Hammond, CDME, Executive Director of the Paducah Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB), has been appointed to serve as a representative of state and local interests to the U.S. National Commission

Mary Hammond, Executive Director of the Paducah Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) has earned the Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) designation, the only integrated executive program specifically designed for the destination marketing industry. The focus of the program is on vision, leadership, productivity and the implementation of business strategies.  Hammond was recognized at the Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) 2016 Annual Convention in Minneapolis, MN.