Morehead-Rowan County Tourism Celebrates 2022 As Best Year On Record For Economic Impact

Morehead-Rowan County Tourism Celebrates 2022 As Best Year On Record For Economic Impact

Morehead-Rowan County Tourism is leading the way in demonstrating the importance of outdoor recreation in the tourism industry. We’re being recognized not only in Eastern Kentucky but all across the state. Rowan County has also pulled into third place in our 15-county region after holding strong in 4th and 5th place for 5 years. We're very excited that people traveling are choosing our community to visit.

Kentucky Tourism generated $12.9 billion in economic impact and 91,668 jobs in 2022. This makes it the best year on record! Not only has it been the best year on record for the state: Morehead-Rowan County also had a record-breaking year. We grew in tourist spending by $2.17 million reaching $53.37 million!

According to a study by Tourism Economics, more than $936.7 million in state and local taxes were generated in total across the state of Kentucky because of tourism's economic impact, equating to an estimated $536 tax savings for every Kentucky household. These numbers underscore the economic benefits of tourism and the importance of local economic investment.

Site Selection magazine recently placed Kentucky first in the South Central region and top-5 nationally in its 2023 Prosperity Cup ranking, which recognizes state-level economic development agencies for their success in landing capital investment projects; they also placed Kentucky second nationwide and first in the South Central region for its annual Governor’s Cup ranking for 2022, which recognizes state-level economic success based on capital investments. Kentucky is thriving, and Rowan County is leading the way in our region.

Because of our location in the Daniel Boone National Forest and on the Sheltowee, we have access to over 100 miles of trails, with natural beauty and recreation opportunities for everyone to enjoy. This has given us a unique opportunity for economic growth and development as we emerge from the pandemic, and these statistics from the state clearly demonstrate how important tourism is for our local economy.

Tourism Marketing Funding Presentation: $207,467 to Morehead-Rowan County Tourism to support travel marketing/promotion and to attract meetings and conventions, distributed by the Kentucky Department of Tourism

To view the full economic impact report, visit: kentuckytourism.com/industry.

To learn more about Morehead-Rowan County Tourism, visit: https://visitmorehead.com/