Richmond has celebrated National Tourism Week for the past 24 years, and for several reasons, said Lori Murphy, Richmond’s Tourism and Main Street Department director.
Madison County is ranked sixth in the state for tourism expenditures. Every dollar Richmond visitors spend turns over 1,611 times and has an $115 million dollars in annual economic impact, according to statistics complied by the city’s tourism department.
This year’s celebration will run through Sunday, May 18, and will feature several contests and free tours of the Irvinton House, the historical site at 345 Lancaster Ave. that houses the Richmond Tourism and Main Street Department.
A postcard contest, radio trivia contest and a photo contest are ways the community can get involved in celebrating national Tourism Week in Richmond.
Residents are being asked to photograph their favorite place in Richmond and submit it to The Richmond Visitor Center by 4 p.m. Friday. The photo of the lucky winner will be featured on the cover of the new Richmond Visitor Guide.
“We hope this year with the contests and open house, all residents of Richmond will begin to explore what we have to offer,” said Lori Murphy, director of Richmond’s Tourism and Visitor’s Center.
Irvinton House will be open for free tours from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday. Refreshments will be served and Murphy also will be presenting a special tourism award to a Richmond citizen.
“Also come by the Visitor Center anytime during the week and we will send a postcard to someone that you would like to visit Richmond,” she said.
Richmond’s tourism industry has grown throughout the years and Mayor Connie Lawson is proud of the tremendous accomplishments, she said.
“It really has flourished. Gibson Bay is the major attraction, along with our Fourth of July celebration and the (Touchstone Energy) All A Classic,” Lawson said.
There are many aspects of developing a strong tourism base in a city, Lawson said.
“We have an unbelievable staff,” she said. “Lori (Murphy) and her team work with the fire, street and police department. They come together so beautifully for our events.”
Aside from coordinating local events, showcasing what the community has to offer is one of the most important jobs of a tourism office, according to Richmond City Manager David Evans.
“You have to have people who are able to market the city, send out information, respond to questions and advertise the city to let people know what’s here,” he said.
“Tourism is a very important part of the economy here. (Tourism) helps restaurants, retail stores, gas stations. It has a ripple effect.”
This summer is set to be one of the best summers for tourism because of the opening of new attractions such as Paradise Cove at Gibson Bay, the long-awaited family aquatic center, Murphy said.
Visitors also frequently inquire about the Battle of Richmond site, she said.
“We have historical staples like Fort Boonesborough, White Hall State Historic Shrine, Bybee Pottery and Eastern Kentucky University’s Hummel Planetarium,” Murphy said. “In the past year, we have had numerous visitors also inquire about Acres of Land Winery. They are very surprised to see so many wineries in Kentucky.”
“I think it is very important to realize what tourism attraction you have in your own backyard,” Murphy said. “With the increasing cost of fuel, everyone is looking for destinations closer to home and what is closer than your own city.
“Richmond is blessed with rich history and wonderful sites to visit,” she said. “You could spend an entire week exploring everything there is to see and do in Madison County.”
Call the Richmond Tourism and Visitor’s Center at 626-8474 for more information about the contests or open house event.
Ronica Shannon can be reached at rshannon@richmondregister.com or 623-1669, Ext. 234.
Local News
Richmond tourism highlighted next week
- Local News
-
-
‘She wasn’t just a teacher’ : Lambert retires after 43 years at Berea
Scroll to the bottom of the story to read "Love for Lambert: Berea graduates share memories of their teacher," as well as a list of other Berea retirees this year.
Writer’s Note: Brenda Lambert is the reason I write articles today (Class of 2000).
Years ago, a little blonde-haired girl from Rockcastle County gathered her friends to “play school” in a 10-by-10 foot playhouse her father built.
Even at 12 years old, Brenda Lambert knew she wanted to be a teacher one day.
“I always felt like an old person trapped in a young person's body,” said Lambert, who is retiring after 43 years of service to Berea Community School. -
Special Olympics return for 18th year at EKU
Next weekend, the Special Olympics Kentucky State Summer Games return to Eastern Kentucky University campus. This is the 18th consecutive year EKU has hosted the event.
The games will be Friday through June 2. About 1,300 athletes will compete this year. -
Assault charges reduced, dismissed by grand jury
Two men arrested in connection with serious assaults had their charges reduced, and in one case dismissed, by a Madison grand jury.
Jerry Wayne Edington, 34, of Berea Road, was charged Jan. 19 with second-degree assault after an altercation at the Blue Moon bar on East Irvine Street, according to a Richmond police report. -
Dump of the Day
The Dump of the Day is a recurring series the newspaper publishes to highlight illegal trash piles and push local governments to cite perpetrators and get illegal dumps cleaned up. See Page A7 in Sunday's paper to read a copy of the city’s ordinance related to trash pickup.
-
Paradise Cove open through Labor Day
Opening day of Paradise Cove Family Aquatic Center coincided with a spike in temperatures Friday which reached 90 degrees. The facility, located in Richmond’s Lake Reba Park, will be open through Sept. 3. Regular hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday.
-
Dump of the Day
An old mattress, a car seat and other debris sit Friday afternoon on North Street between Fourth and Fifth Streets where it was first spotted Thursday. The “Dump of the Day” is a recurring series the Richmond Register publishes to highlight illegal trash piles and push local governments to cite perpetrators and get illegal dumps cleaned up. See Sunday’s Richmond Register to read a copy of the city’s ordinance related to trash pickup.
-
Undefeated academic team brings pride to Madison Middle School
Madison Middle School 6th and 7th grade academic teams have been undefeated for the last two years.
The 8th grade team also has done well, having some students qualify to compete at the state level. -
Woman fends off burglar with knife
A Berea woman used a kitchen knife to fend off an alleged burglar early Wednesday morning, and police say they were able to catch the man in the act.
-
Man is indicted on additional sex charge involving teen in 1998
A man already accused of sex abuse in November 2011 has been indicted on a charge of first-degree rape involving a child in 1998.
Charles W. Peyton, 63, of East Irvine Street, was indicted Wednesday by a Madison grand jury. He used “forcible compulsion” to have sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old girl between March 1 and May 1 in 1998, according to the indictment. -
Woman fends off burglar with knife
A Berea woman used a kitchen knife to fend off an alleged burglar early Wednesday morning, and police say they were able to catch the man in the act.
Officers responded to a call in the 1000 block of Scaffold Cane Road about a man trying to break into a home, according to a release from BPD Public Information Officer Jake Reed. - More Local News Headlines
-
Vatican in Chaos After Butler Arrested for Leaks
Jimmy Carter Endorses Egypt's Election Results
Biden Addresses West Point Graduating Class
Dozens of Children Killed in New Syria Attack
Raw Video: Activists Allege Massacre in Syria
NJ Man Charged With Murder in Death of Patz
Support, Fun for Kids of Fallen Soldiers at Camp
Fugitive Penguin Caught, Returned to Aquarium
50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning
Light Show Transforms Sydney Opera House
Raw Video: Unruly Passenger Restrained in Miami
Raw Video: Robber Uses Drive-thru Window
Raw Video: Dragon Arrives at Space Station
Calif.'s Coronado Named Nation's Best Beach
CEO Salaries Become Sore Issue in Labor Disputes
