SLADE, Ky. (LEX 18) — Senator Rand Paul kicked off a new group focused on boosting tourism in Eastern Kentucky through the creation of the Eastern Kentucky Leaf and Blossom Trail.
The goal is to bring tourists through new trail systems while providing authentic small town experiences across the region's natural landscape. Paul believes unified advertising and marketing this as a complete trail system could provide a significant economic boost for 24 counties in Eastern Kentucky, similar to the success of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
"I think we're talking about millions of dollars of business. I think the future of eastern Kentucky - a lot of it is tourism," Paul said.
The senator pointed to other states that have seen success with similar tourism initiatives and believes Kentucky can compete effectively.
"I think we can compete with Tennessee and North Carolina. (Our) mountains are every bit as beautiful, if not more beautiful. But they're getting a lot of traffic, and it's so crowded down in Tennessee that I think we can siphon off a lot of that business," Paul said.
Some local residents have expressed concerns that increased tourism could lead to overcrowding and potentially damage the quaint nature of Eastern Kentucky's mountains.
However, Paul argues that creating a trail system would direct visitors to lesser-known areas, spreading tourism across multiple counties rather than concentrating it in popular destinations.
"Red River Gorge is a little bit different than Whitesburg. Whitesburg is equally beautiful, but Red River Gorge has this national and international reputation and already has a lot of traffic. So I think as we develop the trail, the goal is to get people to certain places that aren't as populated as well," Paul said.
The group's objective is to engage local communities and businesses with the trail development, allowing them to make it their own while benefiting from increased tourism revenue.
