We all know it.

Kentucky is a beautiful state with lots to offer, but making sure that message is conveyed well can be a tough job.

I recently sat down with Lindsey Spear, with Kentucky's Tourism Arts and Heritage Cabinet to talk about the economic impact of tourism, which is big and a major milestone for Kentucky state parks.

Well, Secretary Kay Spears, good to see you.

Thank you so much.

Yes, happy summer.

It's a busy summer.

Summer It is.

And it's a big anniversary for the state parks, isn't it?

It's our 100th year.

Yes, we've been celebrating since January.

We kicked off the year with Silas House, our poet laureate, doing a writer's workshop.

He did that in January.

He did another one in April.

He's going to do yet another one at Berkeley in the in November.

And then after he did those three or committees, those three, then Frank Walker and Crystal set out how.

Cool.

We were Writers Day.

And I said, Hey, would you all do some workshops?

So they're going to go to General Butler in December.

So you're just plucking all the poet laureates aren't just.

Going to put them to use.

And it's been great because as you know from his his great segment on parks is such a fan of our parks system and and as everyone should be.

And once they find out about them, they they become that.

You know, I tell you that story that we did with him, the only thing that would have made that better if there would have been a moon, though.

Right.

I mean, because you could just tell how much that had really nurtured his creativity, that been connected to Cumberland Falls in that way.

I mean, it was so authentic.

If you hadn't been, you definitely wanted to go after you saw him talk about it.

Oh, well, that night after he after his workshop, we all walked down there and, you know, he had his dog RV with him.

But we're walking down and soon as you before you even get to the path, as soon as you hear the falls.

Yes.

Just the sense of calm just comes over you.

And that's just one of the many things that people find at the state parks that that is why they keep coming back.

Do you think they are Kentucky's secret jewel and gem?

Yeah, absolutely.

Yeah.

You think people just don't know enough about them and why and how is that trying to change, perhaps with this intentional anniversary?

Well, we're trying to change that and let people know.

But but when you go to the the parks, I mean, in the parking lot, you can see license plates from Canada and every state in the union, you know, and and the parks are well-kept secret.

But but since I've been in this position, I found out from so many people just how much they do love our parks.

And and we're just going to try to ramp up that message and and let people know and and share that with them.

And and the other thing is, say, with tourism, because we have so much folks that come here, so many folks that come here for horses and bourbon, But when they get here, they find out that it's so much more.

And our park system is one of the things that they discover.

Yeah.

How many state parks and we know there's renovations happening to many of them.

There's there's 44 state parks or 17 resort lodges.

We have some of the best golf courses in the country.

There are renovations.

The legislature appropriated and the governor supported those renovations and and we needed them desperately.

We will be going back for more because some of those renovations are on fire and and.

Right.

Wiring things you can't see.

And folks want to see, you know, new bedding.

They want to see new linens.

They want to see cosmetic changes as well.

And we're working on that.

But you also want air if it's 95 degrees and the summer.

Heat in the winter, that's.

Exactly right.

Well, we look forward to more as as as you celebrate, you know, we say around here, you celebrate an anniversary for three years.

So we know that that will certainly be a large part of what we see coming out of the cabinet.

But there's so much more that the cabinet does, right?

I mean, the state parks is one thing, but there are programs that people probably don't connect to.

You.

They well, we say we're the fun cabinet.

You know, I just have to back up a second because we I got ahead of myself with the poets for it.

But but we had a big celebration on the old capital state at the old state Capitol on July 1st.

And the governor spoke and Commissioner Meyer and I spoke.

But it was just and it was the prettiest day of the summer.

It was so fitting, but so much of what's within our cabinet, you know, the Kentucky Horse Park, the Heritage Council, the History Center, which is such a jewel for our state governor, School for the Arts, over 8000 alumni in our governor, School for the Arts.

And and now when I leave here, that's where I'm headed today.

But just a life changing, transformative experience for for those young artists that come to GSA, Department of Tourism, travel.

You know, as the governor announced in June, over $13 billion economic impact and from the tourism industry in Kentucky, over 95,000 jobs.

I mean, those are clean, creative industry jobs.

And it's it's just very exciting what's happening to tourism.

I've got a lot of close friends who are in tourism and I often maybe emcee some of their events.

And I always ask them, Do you think that policymakers really understand how crucial tourism is to the overall economic development of the state?

And what's the case that you're making right, that it's worth supporting and financially and in other ways?

Do you think that the General Assembly now completely understands $13 billion economic impact and 95,000 95,000 jobs?

That's nothing to sneeze at.

It's not.

It's not.

And so much of what I just mentioned is within our cabinet, those lend themselves to those jobs.

You know, folks that work in the arts and creative industries, it's it all is part of those jobs that create over 95,000 in tourism.

And and that's why people come to Kentucky.

They want an authentic when they come for bourbon or horses.

Then they decide they they explore and discover there's so much more.

And and because Kentucky is so unique and anybody that ever comes here loves it falls in love.

And they are not just a one time visitor.

We do have to give a shout out to the local tourism directors, right.

Who do a yeoman's work in helping to elevate the profile of their communities.

Absolutely.

It's another anniversary this year.

It's a 45th anniversary of our main streets, which are absolutely the heartbeat of those local communities.

And that's where people come and they get an authentic experience with the charm and the ambiance of the main streets and the restaurants and the shops and everything that you know, that they have to to explore there.

Yeah, Yeah.

Well, anything else you care to add, Secretary?

Well, if, if anybody has not discovered a state park during this season, if we have any vacancies, please, please try to get in to see a state park and, and explore Kentucky because it's it's absolutely it's it's it's our new Kentucky home.

And and we're working every day and the governor's working every day to make sure that that we leave a strong legacy for the future when when we finish this administration and it's there's a lot to be proud of.

Yeah, absolutely.

Well, thank you so much for sharing it with us.

We appreciate it.

Thank you.