KY tourism commissioner receives 2024 State Tourism Director of the Year award

Commissioner of Kentucky Tourism Mike Mangeot received the 2024 State Tourism Director of the Year award.

According to a 2023 study, 79.3 million travelers visited the state in 2023, a 4.5% increase from 2022.

"It's because we're good neighbors, and that's all it is. We will give you a cup of sugar and not ask for anything back even if we know your name or not. If you pull up to a camp ground someone will give you a spare tire, you can go into a grocery store looking for a recipe. Somebody's grandma, somebody's aunt is going to give you a recipe," Christie Abrams with Leave No Trace Adventures, a resident guide at the gorge, said.

Red River Gorge in Eastern Kentucky is one of the most popular spots in the state.

"It has everything as far as an adventure can go. We are a number one rock climbing destination across the world," Abrams said.

"Some of our guides are very well versed in birds or trees or flowers. It's just a specific thing."

The gorge is a vast stretch of land with dozens of hiking trails and scenic sites, merging with the Daniel Boone National Forest.

From food to horses to dozens of Bourbon distilleries, there are all sorts of things to be discovered across the State of Kentucky.

For more information on Kentucky tourism, click here .