New 2025 Official Kentucky Visitor’s Guide Unveiled

Travel guide highlights bucket list experiences across Our New Kentucky Home

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Dec. 19, 2024) – Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear unveiled the 2025 Official Kentucky Visitor’s Guide during the Team Kentucky Update. The publication is the official visitor’s guide for travel across our New Kentucky Home and serves as the state’s primary tourism advertising and promotional piece.  

“With back-to-back record-breaking years for our $13.8 billion tourism industry, we are showing visitors from all over the globe how special our New Kentucky Home is,” said Gov. Beshear. “Kentucky has something for every traveler, and the new Visitor’s Guide is an excellent tool for connecting folks with all the different experiences across the commonwealth.”  

Resources in the guide include everything a traveler needs to plan a trip in Kentucky, whether exploring regionally or by topic of interest. Readers can also find regional itineraries, travel tips and a variety of other helpful information for touring the commonwealth.  

Cover art features a collection of Kentucky souvenirs. The center of the guide folds out into a regional map and highlights our New Kentucky Home as the premier destination to live, work and play.   

“The 2025 Official Kentucky Visitor’s Guide is your gateway to experiencing the very best of the commonwealth,” said Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet Secretary Lindy Casebier.  “Whether you’re a Kentuckian exploring your own backyard, a visitor from across the nation, or traveling internationally, this guide highlights Kentucky’s treasures — from outdoor adventures and rich history to art, culture, horse country and world-famous bourbon. We look forward to another banner year for tourism in 2025 and encourage everyone to pick up the new guide to start planning their next unforgettable journey.” 

“Our 2025 Visitor’s Guide is full of inspiration for planning a Kentucky visit tailored to your interests, and includes all the tips and tools you’ll need,” said Kentucky Department of Tourism Commissioner Mike Mangeot. “With more visitors than ever before coming to Kentucky, we look forward to welcoming travelers from all over to experience our unique attractions and unmatched hospitality in 2025.”  

Visitors and Kentuckians alike are encouraged to share their unique Kentucky adventures on social media with #NewKyHome. Those who use #NewKyHome will have a chance to win a two-night stay at a Kentucky State Park. This incentive will take place until April 2025, with the Governor announcing a winner once a month during one of his Team Kentucky Updates.  

Kentucky’s impressive economic growth is a direct reflection of the Beshear administration’s continued investments in the tourism industry.  

To capitalize on Kentucky’s historic economic momentum and record-breaking tourism success, Gov. Beshear recently announced New Kentucky Home, a strategic initiative to further drive economic investment, attract and retain talent and increase tourism across the commonwealth.  

Earlier this year, the Governor announced that 2023 was the best year on record for tourism, with $13.8 billion in economic impact and 95,222 jobs. This followed a record-breaking 2022 when he announced that tourism had generated more than $12.9 billion in economic impact and secured 91,668 jobs in Kentucky that year.  

Gov. Beshear recently announced that 2024 marks the second straight record-breaking year for the most projects granted final approval in a single year by the Kentucky Tourism Development Finance Authority with ten new tourism development projects set to generate an estimated $256 million in economic investment. These projects also are expected to create 1,696 jobs once operational.

The state’s bourbon and spirits industry recorded its best year for growth in 2022, with over $2.1 billion in new investments and approximately 700 new jobs for Kentucky residents. The sector followed with a strong 2023, including $713.8 million in new investments and 229 full-time jobs. Since the start of his administration, Gov. Beshear has announced roughly 100 new location and expansion projects within the bourbon and spirits sector, contributing to over $4.2 billion in new investments and more than 1,800 full-time jobs for Kentuckians.  

In 2022, Gov. Beshear announced $75 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to boost the state’s tourism industry and economy. Previously, the Governor dedicated $5.3 million in federal funding to 103 tourism and destination marketing organizations in 88 Kentucky counties.  

Since the beginning of his administration, Gov. Beshear has announced more than 1,000 private-sector new-location and expansion projects totaling nearly $35 billion in announced investments, creating roughly 58,000 jobs. This is the highest investment figure secured during the tenure of any governor in the commonwealth’s history.  

The new Official Visitor’s Guides, produced by the Department of Tourism, are free and will be available at Kentucky welcome centers across the commonwealth beginning Jan. 1. An interactive, digital copy of the guide will also be available at KentuckyTourism.com.   

For more information, visit KentuckyTourism.com.