University Presentation Showcase: Undergraduate Poster Gallery
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Creation Date
January 2024
Major
Recreation and Parks Administration
Department
Recreation and Park Administration
Degree
Undergraduate
Mentor
Jon McChesney
Mentor Department
Recreation and Park Administration
Abstract
Tourism is an essential part of Kentucky from history and outdoor adventure to horse country and bourbon. Bourbon is a multibillion dollar industry in Kentucky. The Bourbon Industry in Kentucky got its commercial start in 1783 when Evan Williams founded his distillery in Louisville Kentucky. Tours of Kentucky distilleries began shortly after the end of the Civil War with E. H Taylor Jr.’s idea of the “distillery as a showplace”. In 1999 the Kentucky Distillers Association established the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. The Industries growth increased into the “golden age of Kentucky Bourbon” when sales reached $1 billion for the first time in 2013. With wineries and distilleries across the world gaining popularity, “Napa-fication” of bourbon in Kentucky became a dream. Between distilleries in Scotland and wineries in Napa Valley there was an average of 2.8 million visitors during 2018. In 2022 Kentucky hosted 79.5 million visitors that spent $8.9 billion. That spending was separated into categories of food and beverage, lodging, transportation, retail, and entertainment. 26% of that $8.9 billion was spent on food and beverage. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail recorded a total of 2.1 million visitors in 2022 which was a 38% increase over 2019s pre-pandemic numbers and 370% increase over the number of visitors recorded in 2012. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear congratulated the Kentucky Distillers Association saying “it's incredible to see attendance for the Kentucky Bourbon Trail reach an all time high in 2022, the same year this signature industry saw record breaking investments and job growth”. In 2023 Kentucky’s Bourbon Industry impacted the state in a total $9 billion in revenue.
