TOURISM TAKES THE STAGE

ACCORDING TO JULIE KIRKPATRICK, PRESIDENT AND

CEO of meetNKY | Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau, 2019 was a record year for Northern Kentucky in terms of tourism. Then came the pandemic, leaving many businesses within the industry her organization promotes – hospitality, entertainment, restaurants, etc. – desperately seeking to turn back the clock. Of course, despite what superhero movies and other science fiction would have you believe, there is no way to turn back time. Kirkpatrick, however, chooses to focus on the future. She believes progress requires forward-thinking, making this moment in time critical to the Cincy Region’s future.

“If we're only getting back to 2019, we're still behind. Our plans are about all of us advancing to where we should be by 2023 and 2024,” Kirkpatrick says. “2021 was a good year, we are not back to great, but great is within our grasp. We're going to keep working towards great with all our partners.”

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

The impact of tourism on Northern Kentucky’s economy was on full display earlier this spring when meetNKY hosted their annual meeting themed “Tourism Takes the Stage”. The gathering, held at at PromoWest Pavilion at OVATION in Newport, presented the organization’s annual report and featured remarks by several local business leaders: NKY Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Brent Cooper, Tri-ED president Lee Crume, Visit Cincy (Cincinnati CVB) president and CEO Julie Calvert as well as meetNKY board chair Josh Quinn. Alongside Kirkpatrick, each detailed the reasons they believe the Cincy Region is progressing because of partnerships and developments helping to bolster the region’s workforce and the attractions that appeal to both business and leisure travelers.

A close look at the numbers detailed in the report, however, explains Kirkpatrick’s sentiments that while last year was good, the future has the potential to – and needs to be – better. Kirkpatrick says whereas 2019 saw hotels at 73% occupancy, 2021 saw them only at 64.5%. In addition, the loss of business travel at CVG Airport and the cancellation of several concerts (including the now-rescheduled Garth Brooks and Cincinnati Music Festival) hurt tourism – and the economic impact it brings – with 90% of those events’ attendees coming from out of town.

POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT

The 1.3 million visitors that came to experience attractions like the Ark Encounter, Creation Museum, Newport Aquarium and BB Riverboats in 2021, however, are among the reasons she is hopeful the region is now trending upward. The aforementioned Garth Brooks concert and Cincinnati Music Festival, both rescheduled for this year, are also tentpole tourist events, as is the Ark Encounter’s “40 Days and 40 Nights of Gospel Music” festival happening later this year. Add in the national attention gained during the Cincinnati Bengals’ recent Super Bowl run, venues hosting conventions, the re-opening of Turfway Park and the consistent appeal of the bourbon trail (a.k.a. The B-Line) and Kirkpatrick’s excitement is justified as meetNKY leverages data to produce and prove positive results.

“One of the biggest initiatives that we started in 2021 was an earned media effort where we are working with journalists across the country, telling them the Northern Kentucky story, inviting them to come see it for themselves and write about it, ”Kirkpatrick says. “We had 53 articles written about our experiences in Northern Kentucky that put about 310 million eyeballs on this region. That will start to turn into visitation and interest.”

Another important initiative is meetNKY joining forces with Visit Cincy (Cincinnati CVB) to promote the Cincy Region as a destination under a unified branding effort. This promotes both sides of the river collaboratively versus competing with one another. “It's a 50/50 partnership, putting a flag in the ground (to mark) where bourbon meets beer, world-class professional sports meet world-class professional arts and where culinary comes together with outdoor experiences,” Kirkpatrick says.

MICROS, MACROS AND MAJOR POTENTIAL

Saying “Hope without a plan is just a dream,” Kirkpatrick looks forward to a day when banner events are happening on both sides of the Ohio River again. That’s why she calls the present a “true planning moment” with her organization and so many others working to resolve infrastructure, transportation, and workforce issues; attract new business and of course, plenty of tourist-friendly events. Kirkpatrick says the Cincy Region will also have to deal with “micro threats” such as concerns over gas prices and the potential long-term effects of the conflict in Ukraine. She is hopeful both of which won’t evolve into what she considers “macro-oppositions” to the region’s growth and tourism, an example of that being the pandemic. Noting she is “above all, a naturally optimistic person,” Kirkpatrick is convinced “the best days for Northern Kentucky are not even here yet.”

“The biggest lesson learned is to have strong alliances, whether that's the strong alliances we've built with our Cincinnati partners, the even stronger alliances we've built with our state partners or locally – they all help lift the load together,” says Kirkpatrick. “I'm really looking forward to getting there as a key partner and really giving this region its due. It’s been kind of a hidden gem for a while (and) we're being a little bit louder about it, which is great. I am super optimistic about our future and this tourism industry (now more) than I've ever been.” NKY

PICTURED: Julie Kirkpatrick applauds the meetNKY team, shown on-screen at this year's annual meeting, held at The Pavilion at Ovation.