Let’s build each other up and support our hospitality industry in Lexington

Hospitality starts at home. We don’t just make visitors feel welcome.

We welcome our own – we lift them up and work together during difficult times. That’s what families do. It’s also what caring communities like Lexington do.

Yes, we are facing a season of unprecedented uncertainty. Our anxiety of the unknown threatens to overshadow the fragrant blossoms that signal spring. But the beauty of Lexington – inside and out – is still here. It should be appreciated and celebrated.

The same dedication and determination that wowed the international community when Breeders’ Cup took a chance on Lexington in 2015 and recommitted to us in 2020 is what will lead us through these challenging times.

Anxiety is heightened when we feel helpless. The best remedy is to focus on helping others and finding ways to take action. That includes activating the generous spirit that lives here – supporting our nonprofits, checking in on our family and our neighbors.

Our hospitality businesses also need our support. These local business owners, entrepreneurs and front-line workers are disproportionately impacted by the necessary safety steps being taken to protect everyone’s health. VisitLEX is working every day with hospitality partners as well as local, state and federal officials to find ways to assist businesses and employees during this difficult time.

You can lend a hand as well. Here are seven ways you can help local business:

▪ Buy gift cards to our venues, attractions, hotels, restaurants and retail shops.

▪ Order local food through takeout, carryout or delivery service.

▪ Share positive messaging on our social channels. Let’s remind ourselves of what makes this community special and what we look forward to doing again soon. Show everyone that the spirit of #sharethelex and #teamkentucky is alive and well during this season.

▪ Find ways to enjoy the outdoors while following CDC health guidelines. You can organize family outings that take our mural challenge or do our scavenger hunt, which will incorporate exercise and learning. The VisitLEX Experience App uses augmented reality to create an interactive walking tour and scavenger hunt downtown. The app will guide you through the downtown area while providing historical facts and turning select murals to life. You can download it here: https://www.visitlex.com/things-to-do/.

▪ Help us bring a future meeting/convention to town. Our Hometown Host Program provides support and resources to anyone in Kentucky who can be instrumental in bringing meetings, conventions and events to Lexington. We make the planning process easier for the Hometown Host by providing meeting and hotel options, specialty venue ideas, and creative local group activities. In turn, fellow Lexingtonians help us recruit events each year that bring in tens of thousands of event and convention visitors to our city.

▪ Plan a staycation for a future date—stay in our hotels and find out why Lexington was named one of the top weekend getaways in the country and one of the top destinations in the world for a nature immersion getaway. And invite your family and friends to do the same.

Our new web link https://www.visitlex.com/team-kentucky-supports-local-during-covid19/ provides a central listing of restaurants that have takeout and gift cards options available during this time of social distancing.

The hospitality industry impacts so many people in our community— so many jobs, so many quality-of-life offerings that we all appreciate and make Lexington the place we have chosen to live, work and raise a family.

We will get through this season. Until the time when we can once again be together, let’s build each other up in every way we can.

Mary Quinn Ramer is president of VisitLEX, a destination sales, marketing, and service organization charged with promoting Lexington’s Bluegrass Region for the purpose of attracting visitors and growing the economy. For more information: www.visitlex.com.