Bowling Green Convention & Visitors Bureau reports standout year in 2024

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The Bowling Green Convention & Visitors Bureau is sharing its success from 2024.

The bureau says it continued to help influence marking and promotional initiatives that worked to bring new and repeated visitors to the Bowling Green area.

“Based on forecast models and historical patterns, the travel industry will continue to heat and cool in the years to come, but we’re very proud of our 2024 efforts,” said Sherry Murphy, executive director for Visit BGKY. “We checked a lot of boxes this year, several of which are big ones to cross off the list. We did so all in the name of providing our visitors with a unique Kentucky experience, and we strongly believe the efforts from our attraction partners, hoteliers, eateries and event managers made all the difference in that success.”

According to tourism officials, one of the largest milestones of 2024 was the commencement of the state’s ARPA funds designed by Gov. Andy Beshear, the Kentucky General Assembly and the Kentucky Department of Tourism in 2022.

Officials say the funding allowed the tourism industry to recover after the COVID-19 pandemic and brought millions back to the economy.

Bowling Green participated in the largest number of jurisdictional projects of any city in Kentucky, officials say, with 16 total projects.

Four of these projects came from the Visit BGKY office, including the Bluegrass Train Experience and the Western Kentucky Wine Trail.

Although most of these projects may have ended in 2024, the funding provided Visit BGKY with over $1,000,000 to attract possible travelers.

Also, thanks to these funds, Visit BGKY says it received the most awards it has ever been offered from the 2024 Kentucky Travel Industry Association conference. This included one gold, eight silver and 10 bronze awards, officials say.

Sherry Murphy, executive director of Visit BGKY, received the prestigious Mangeot-Oaken Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor recognized in the tourism industry.

Bowling Green and Warren County also brought in thousands during the Hot Rods Power Tour and Corvette Caravan, which also occurred during the 30th Anniversary celebration of the National Corvette Museum.

Looking ahead to 2025, the bureau says it will unveil its new office off of exit 26 on Cemetery Road.