Northern Kentucky was the second-largest tourism economy in the Commonwealth of Kentucky throughout 2024.
In mid-June, Kentucky released its annual Tourism Economic Impact Report, which found that Northern Kentucky had a $2.25 billion impact on the state’s tourism industry. In total, Kentucky had its best year in tourism to date, generating more than $14.3 billion in economic impact and supporting 97,300 jobs.
Tourism in Northern Kentucky generated an economic impact of $2 billion in 2023, representing a 12.5% year-over-year increase in 2024.
Julie Kirkpatrick, CEO of meetNKY, Northern Kentucky’s tourism bureau, told LINK nky that the region has continuously recovered since the COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted the tourism industry in 2020 and 2021.
“There was a lot of pent-up travel demand,” she said. “People that hadn’t gone on vacation for maybe two or three years made a big, a big impact. But of course, you know, we always say we are on that growth trajectory because of the continued success of things like the British Airways flight.”
Northern Kentucky’s proximity to downtown Cincinnati and its status as the home of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport position it to get both national and international visitors. Its hotels and restaurants capitalize on the steady influx of tourists attending Reds and Bengals games, conventions, and touring concerts, making the region a beneficiary of Greater Cincinnati’s event economy.
Northern Kentucky also features regional attractions, such as the Ark Encounter in Williamstown and the Newport Aquarium, which draw visitors from beyond the area.
“Obviously, being part of the Cincy region, visitors that come in to have a Reds experience, a concert experience, a Bengals experience, as well as some of our great anchor attractions, of course, like the Ark Encounter, B&B Riverboats, the Newport Aquarium, that is also power of having the number one airport in a multi-state region in your destination–CVG International is obviously, a big driver of that impact,” Kirkpatrick said.
One of the most critical indicators of a tourism economy’s health is the hotel occupancy rate. In Northern Kentucky, the 2024 hotel occupancy rate of 65.4% was slightly lower than the 2023 rate of 68.5%, but still above the national average of 63%, according to the meetNKY annual report published in March. The hotel occupancy rate measures the percentage of available hotel rooms that are occupied by guests over a specified period.
Digging deeper into the state’s report reveals that Boone County significantly led Northern Kentucky’s three counties in economic impact, generating over $1.3 billion. Kenton County followed with $581 million, and Campbell County with $201 million.
As Kentucky’s overall tourism economy grows, Northern Kentucky is playing an increasingly important role. Jefferson County, or Louisville, the largest tourism economy in the state, garnered around $4.4 billion in economic impact, followed by Northern Kentucky at $2.25 billion. Fayette County, or Lexington, had $1.6 billion economic impact.
As Kentucky’s overall tourism economy grows, Northern Kentucky is playing an increasingly important role. The region’s economic impact from tourism reached $2.25 billion, preceded only by Jefferson County, or Louisville, at approximately $4.4 billion. Fayette County, or Lexington, came in at $1.6 billion.
Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet Secretary Lindy Casebier said the numbers reflect that state’s growing emphasis on tourism.
“These numbers emphasize tourism’s important role in our state and reflect the dedication and hard work of tourism and hospitality professionals throughout Kentucky,” she said in a press release from the governor’s office. “As more and more travelers discover the incredible attractions of our state, we look forward to welcoming many additional folks to our New Kentucky Home in the future.”
