And Henderson is named one of the friendliest towns in the South
You hear it often around town these days: Henderson is on a roll.
A few announcements in the past couple days confirm that.
On Thursday, Hydro Aluminum announced it was expanding its facility on Riverport Road. (Read about that in today’s e-newsletter or here.)
On Friday, the Henderson Tourist Commission announced Henderson and Henderson County had a record year for tourism in 2023, with visitors spending more than $95 million here last year.
And then on Saturday morning, local officials learned that Henderson had been named one of the 20 friendliest towns in the South by the magazine, “Southern Living.” (Take a look at the article here.)
That’s the second listing for Henderson in the magazine this spring. It was recently named the 8th best small town in Kentucky, while Thomason’s Barbecue was named the second-best BBQ joint in the state. (Read about that listing here.)
The fanfare is one reason tourists spent $95.7 million, a 12% increase over the year before and highest in Henderson’s history, according to a release from the Henderson Tourist Commission.
The local tourism industry sustained 609 jobs—in hospitality, retail and entertainment—which accounted for $17.8 million in labor income, said the release.
The data came from a report by Tourism Economics, a company hired by the Kentucky Department of Tourism. Henderson Tourist Commission Executive Director Abby Dixon called Tourism Economics the gold standard of companies compiling tourism data globally.
Dixon said she believes the local surge can be attributed to a few things. First, the end of the COVID-19 pandemic is still playing in the minds of people, and a lot of pent-up desire to get out is present, she said.
Also many of the long vacations, such as Disney World, are too hard on pocketbooks and “less attainable,” Dixon said. People are looking for things closer to home, she said.
“There’s so much to see in our own backyard,” she said.
She also said the local tourist commission has been able to use American Rescue Plan Act funding to bolster advertising and introduce Henderson to new markets.
Finally, Henderson festivals are stronger than ever, the restaurant scene is flourishing and local economic development makes regular headlines, which also increases travel to the area, she said.
“The economic benefits from this surge will have a lasting positive impact on our county,” Dixon said in the release. “These record-breaking numbers are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our local businesses, attractions, and community partners.”
And, of course, the friendly folks in Henderson can take a little credit, too.