Louisville Celebrates Successful Kentucky Derby Season To Kick Off National Travel & Tourism Week

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (May 5, 2025) – As destinations across the country commemorate National Travel & Tourism Week (NTTW), Louisville is fresh off celebrating another historic Kentucky Derby Festival season. The annual tourism week is timely, paying tribute to the city’s hospitality workforce, whose dedication and hard work help the city shine annually for over 250,000 visitors.

Tourism is the third largest industry in Louisville, supporting 70,000 hospitality-related jobs in Jefferson County, while contributing an estimated $4.2 billion to our local economy. Tourism also creates over $300 million in state and local tax revenue, saving each household in Louisville an average of $564 dollars on their state and local tax bill.

“Tourism is a cornerstone of Louisville's economy, and our hospitality workforce plays a crucial role in making Louisville a welcoming and vibrant destination for visitors from around the world,” said Cleo Battle, Louisville Tourism President & CEO.

Since its inception by the US Travel Association in 1983, NTTW has become a nationwide tradition, emphasizing the industry’s $2.9 trillion economic footprint and its role in supporting 15 million American jobs. Louisville’s local NTTW recognition supports and builds the area’s hospitality workforce opportunities while simultaneously inspiring travel to Bourbon City. Local careers in the hospitality industry will continue to be in high demand as Louisville strives to meet the destination’s goal of hosting 25 million visitors by 2030.

Louisville Tourism maintains a hospitality-focused job portal that can be accessed at gotolouisville.com/jobs to connect employers with job seekers. Hospitality positions vary, offering careers involving:

- Customer service
- Operations
- Finance
- Culinary
- Sales

Employers seeking applicants can post positions to Louisville Tourism’s hospitality job portal, including part-time and internships.

To commemorate the week and the significant role tourism plays in our state, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear recorded this video and the Louisville Visitor Center is engaging in special programming including sidewalk sales, beverage and culinary treats.