A Grateful Thank You to Kentucky’s Congressional Delegation
Kentucky’s tourism industry, normally an economic driver and major jobs generator for the Commonwealth, has been devastated by the COVID economic crisis.
However, with the enactment of the Congressional relief bill, we now have a light at the end of what has been a very long and dark tunnel.
Julie Kirkpatrick
I want to express my appreciation to Senate Majority Leader McConnell and others in Kentucky’s Congressional delegation for their support for several important provisions in the bill that will provide critically needed relief for Kentucky tourism.
They made sure that a second round of the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) is available to our small business tourism partners; and they established PPP eligibility for the first time for destination marketing organizations, vital hubs for local tourism businesses and for promoting our communities. There are provisions that enable banks to provide flexibility to hotel owners and a grant program for live venues, theaters, museums, and zoos.
The relief bill does not undo all the harm that the tourism industry has endured from the pandemic. There are businesses that have closed and thousands in our industry have lost their jobs. But what it does do is provide a bridge in concert with vaccines to be able to begin the process of rebuilding and recovering.
That will be a very long process, but it could not have begun without the relief measures supported by our members of Congress.
For that essential starting point, we are extremely grateful.
Sincerely,
Julie Kirkpatrick
President & CEO
meetNKY | Northern Kentucky CVB
