LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Nearly five months into his second term, it’s too early to tell whether President Donald Trump’s policies have affected international tourism, said Stacey Yates, Louisville Tourism chief marketing officer.
She said each year, the city welcomes in 19 million visitors. The city isn’t normally an international tourist’s first choice when visiting the U.S. for the first time; however, if they make a return trip, it’s not far down their list, with plenty of attractive options.
Yates added the international markets they work with the most are the United Kingdom and Germany.
“We have some really strong product that sets us apart, like the bourbon tourism, the equestrian tourism,” Yates said. “Of course, last week’s [Kentucky] Derby puts us on the international horse racing map, so we’ve got good product.”
Jerry Daniels, owner of Stone Fences Tours in Lexington, said international travelers make up only a small part of their clientele, especially for the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
He said it’s a number they would love to see grow because tourism has been booming. Stone Fences Tours has been in business for about eight years.
“We already have a lot of people booking for October,” Daniels said. “With us being central Kentucky-based, when Keeneland’s racing or UK football’s going on, or we have a bourbon festival around here, that’s our time of the year. That’s when most of the guests are coming here, and this is probably the most bookings we’ve ever had this early for the fall.”
For Yates, she said leaders within the industry conduct a “sentiment survey” that measures people’s willingness to travel. She said not only are tourists keeping their trips, but there’s also optimism within the industry.
“Tour operators are excited about the product that we have,” Yates said. “We’re bullish on it right now.”
