Breeders Cup, food, beverage attractions resulted in 2015 tourism growth, officials say

Lexington’s VisitLEX officials on Wednesday released statistics of double-digit growth in tourism in 2015 due to the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland and increases in local food and beverage attractions.

Some of the statistics include:

▪  Hotel room revenue, up 11 percent, with a 1.6 percent increase in hotel occupancy at 64.5 percent. In addition, there was a 7.5 percent increase in average daily rate, to $101.01.

▪  Demand for hotel rooms was up 5.5 percent to almost 1.8 million.

▪  Double-digit increases in hotel rooms booked through convention sales, at 102,575; hotel room revenue, at more than $173 million; and room tax collected, which was more than $10 million.

▪  Twenty-nine new restaurants and bars opened. Eight craft breweries are now on the Brewgrass Trail.

▪  Lexington was featured in national publications including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Garden & Gun magazine and The Miami Herald.

Cheryl Truman

This story was originally published February 17, 2016 at 1:45 PM with the headline "Breeders Cup, food, beverage attractions resulted in 2015 tourism growth, officials say."