At Thursday’s Team Kentucky update, Governor Andy Beshear called 2024 a record-breaking year for economic growth and tourism developments.
This year is Kentucky’s fourth best year in state history for economic investment with more than $6.9 billion being announced in new investments, creating around 9,425 new full-time jobs.
Beshear says tourism developments add to those numbers. When the state’s tourism tax credit program is taken into account, investments rise to $7.25 billion and around 11,000 full-time jobs.
One investment fueling economic growth in Kentucky is Kitchen Food Co. an Australian based ready meals business coming to the Christian County Spec Building with an investment of $69 million and 925 new full-time jobs. Beshear says this project marks the largest job creation project to come to Christian County in around two decades.
The company will start construction in 2025.
Beshear also recognized 2024 as the second straight record-breaking year for the most tourism projects granted final approval in a single year by the Kentucky Tourism Development Finance Authority since the tourism incentive was created in 1996. Beshear announced that 10 new tourism development projects are set to generate an estimated $256 million in economic investment and the launch of the official Kentucky visitors guide will be available at kentuckytourism.com starting on January 1.
The full Team Kentucky Update is available on YouTube.