Kentucky’s tourism leaders designated Pikeville as the state’s 29th Trail Town Thursday.
Kentucky’s Trail Town program began in 2023. It’s meant to help boost tourism and economic development for communities that develop their outdoor activities and culture.
Pikeville is known for its proximity to areas like the Breaks Interstate Park and the Pine Mountain State Scenic Trail.
“It just means the world to us because we pride ourselves in welcoming visitors into Pikeville and certainly Pike County, all of Eastern Kentucky really benefits from this because we are a regional hub of wonderful tourism,” Executive Director of Pikeville Community Relations Tourism said.
She expects the designation will give the town an economic boost.
“It will really impact our hotels that we have locally, certainly our restaurants will benefit as those people come in to have lunch and a snack,” Dotson said. “But really, primarily, our businesses in our downtown area, our locally owned businesses that really pride themselves on what they have.”
Tourism in Kentucky generated nearly 14 billion dollars and created more than 95,000 jobs last year, according to Gov. Andy Beshear’s office.
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