Friday, May 07, 1999
N.Ky. poised to become a leading tourist draw
BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
COVINGTON — Northern Kentucky is on the brink of becoming one of the top tourist destinations in the state.
Figures from the Kentucky Tourism Development Cabinet show that Northern Kentucky — defined by the cabinet as a 13-county region that includes Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties — was third in the state in tourist spending of $527 million in 1998. That is up from $508 million in 1997.
The Louisville region led the state in tourist spending with $1.5 billion last year, followed by the Lexington area with $960 million.
But state and local tourism officials say a number of new attractions, including the Oceanic Adventures Newport Aquarium set to open next week and the Gallatin County motor speedway scheduled to open in 2000, will boost Northern Kentucky in tourism spending.
“We've been growing in tourism, and that very pleasant trend is going to continue with all we have going on in the area,” said Tom Caradonio, president and chief executive officer of the Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitor's Bureau.
The aquarium is expected to draw about 1.2 million people a year. By comparison, the Cincinnati Reds draw about 1.8 million fans a year.
“Having the aquarium will be like having another Reds in town,” Mr. Caradonio said. “It's going to bring a lot of people to Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati, and it's going to fill a lot of hotel rooms.”
Tourism Secretary Ann Latta said the General Assembly has tried to boost tourism in Northern Kentucky and across the state with legislation know as the Tourism Development Act.
Passed in 1996, the act provides a sales-tax refund of up to 25 percent of a project's cost for new or expanded tourism attractions. It was modified in 1998 to include entertainment destinations.
All four projects that have received approval or preliminary approval for the act's tax breaks are in Northern Kentucky: The aquarium; the speedway; the Newport on the Levee riverfront entertainment complex, which includes restaurants and an IMAX theater; and the Millennium Tower project in Newport.
Tourism is the state's second largest employer, with 148,000 jobs.
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