Tourism & Cultural Development
Tourism and cultural events attract temporary visitors to places where they can experience and engage with the community.
Strategies within the Tourism & Cultural Development element could include the development or support of agri-tourism, eco-tourism, or other traditional tourist attractions in each community. Throughout the Regional Community Strategic Planning Process conducted as part of BRADD’s 2022-2027 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, each of BRADD’s 10 counties set goals and objectives address tourism and cultural development needs in their communities. Additionally, BRADD has several regional goals targeting tourism and cultural development. A summary of both the regional goals and county goals and objectives can be found in the tabs to the right.
Tourism at a Glance
BRADD tracks regional data points across multiple categories, including tourism. A snapshot of tourism in the region is displayed here.
Local Success
City of Horse Cave:
Cave Wars
Hidden River Cave is an excellent example of three successes within the realm of tourism & cultural development: Operating a nonprofit as a tourist attraction, preserving natural resources by utilizing local assets and manpower, and marrying downtown development and ecotourism.
Local Success
Edmonson County:
Tourism on Social Media
Edmonson County is home to Mammoth Cave National Park, Nolin Lake State Park. BRADD sat down with Vanessa Ulm, Director of Edmonson County Tourism to talk about how she shows Tourists, (and locals) what is “in between” Mammoth and Nolin.
Local Success
Walnut Ridge, AR:
Beatles Park
Tapping into a national idea, Cave City began hosting their own Cars and Coffee morning event in 2021. The monthly event aims to bring awareness to the amenities available within Cave City while providing an event for the public to enjoy.
Kentucky Tourism
The Official Site of the Kentucky Department of Tourism
CEDIK
Resources from the Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky for Arts Engagements