LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 3, 2012) — Just in time to welcome visitors to Lexington for the fall season, the Lexington Convention and Visitors Bureau unveils a new Lexington Visitors Center inside Victorian Square.
Made possible in part with the generosity of a variety of community partners, the new visitor center in the core of downtown Lexington will allow visitor information staff to better serve more meeting and convention attendees while continuing to provide quality information to leisure tourists.
The Lexington Visitors Center includes 1,500 s.f. of interactive displays and informational kiosks designed to intrigue and inspire visitors to explore the rich heritage of Lexington’s Bluegrass Region. Split into five main areas, the center features information on horse attractions, Bourbons of the Bluegrass, historic attractions, “Explore My Lex,” dedicated to art, music, and cultural events, and Beyond Grits, an area devoted to regional cuisine, unique restaurants, and our growing wineries and craft brewery movement.
Tourism is the third leading industry in Kentucky, providing jobs to more than 169,932 Kentuckians and contributing nearly $11.7 billion to Kentucky’s economy in 2011. Horse-related events and competitions, meetings and conventions, historic attractions, and bourbon-related tourism brought more than 2.8 million visitors to Lexington and the surrounding communities throughout 2011. The Bluegrass region generated more than $2.6 million in expenditures while Lexington alone was responsible for $1.7 million in expenditures for the region.
“The tremendous enthusiasm and generosity of our industry partners and downtown businesses has allowed us to really tell the story of Lexington with more than 30 organizations contributing products, artifacts, unique skills and valuable time toward the completion of the center,” said Jim Browder, president of the Lexington Convention and Visitors Bureau. “It is truly invaluable to have partners who understand and embrace the value of tourism on the entire community and region.”
“The new Lexington Visitors Center is yet one more great landmark in our downtown core, adding to the momentum and excitement that is building throughout the city center,” said Mayor Jim Gray. “I am confident this beautiful new facility will be a great resource to visitors and locals alike.”
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