Tourism Spurs Economic Growth and Development in Our Community
Tourism Spurs Economic Growth and Development in Our Community
Morehead-Rowan County Tourism promotes every inch of this community, from east to west and from north to south. This has given us a unique opportunity for economic growth and development as we emerge from the pandemic, particularly within the area of outdoor tourism. 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.
Annually, Morehead-Rowan County Tourism receives economic impact numbers from the State Department of Revenue. Tourist spending in Rowan County ended in 2020 at $42.2 million, according to the state's formulas for calculating. That was great, despite a pandemic. We must consider spending that occurs as a result of tourism including but by no means limited to food, gasoline, fishing gear, hotels, cabins, kayak rentals, and more. In 2021, we grew tourist spending to $51.2 million in Rowan County. This is a $9 million increase! All of this goes to benefit our local economy, helping everyone who resides in, works in, or visits our community.
During a recent Morehead-Rowan County Chamber of Commerce luncheon, Joy Brown spoke about the importance of understanding the role tourism plays in the community. “We are the ambassadors of Morehead and Rowan County. Our job is to invite people to this community to visit, engage, spend, stay, eat, and repeat,” Joy Brown said. “At least two of us travel January through February and sometimes into March to 3-4 states promoting this area. This doesn’t include the musky fisherman that travel beyond the states we work travel shows, they host musky shows, musky road rules which is a musky school and more. On average, Morehead is promoted at travel shows 91 days a year by my team or a member of this community.” Joy Brown, Executive Director of Morehead-Rowan County Tourism, has been working for tourism for 17 years as of the time of publishing. She leads a team of five full time team members, Paige Swartz, Jamie Breeze, Ashley Gilliam and Bob Patrick. At any given time, they also have five to six part- time employees. The team is responsible for the Morehead Conference Center, Rowan County Arts Center, and the Morehead Visitor Center.
Funding for our future is a success story, and we've obtained grants for these projects:
Rowan County Cave Run Lake Facility Improvement - $200,000 Land and Water Conservation Fund grant for a project that is the first to partner the Rowan County Fiscal Court, United States Forest Service, United States Corps of Engineers, and Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Resources. Read more on page 3.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements - $240,000 grant for a project to implement the first phase “East Main Corridor” of the approved Morehead-Rowan County Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan that will connect East Main to Rodburn Hollow Park. Read about one of Rodburn Hollow Park's new hidden gems on page 4.
ARPA Funds for Tourism Grants – new marketing dollars for $100,326 worth of projects funds that Morehead-Rowan County Tourism's team had to present for approval prior to receiving these funds. Our community was the first in the state to receive ARPA funds and a visit from the Governor. Yes, before Lexington, Northern Kentucky and Louisville!
This demonstrates the power of partnerships and the lasting economic impact of tourism. 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. Our tourism commission just launched a new website, visitmorehead.com, that shows all the great things waiting for you in our community. We encourage everyone to head over to the page to look it over and find an adventure off the beaten path.