The offices of Elizabethtown Tourism & Convention Bureau epitomizes CVB efforts throughout the Commonwealth

CVB COVID-19 Partner Assistance Initiatives

As their community’s destination organization, convention & visitors bureaus are in a unique position to assist their tourism partners and the entire community.  Many have risen to the occasion to do just that in the midst of the crisis. Those efforts are occurring as the CVBs, themselves, are dealing with the disruption of their employees, operations and revenue. Below are responses received from a KTIA survey of CVB members designed to capture and share the assistance they are providing.

Last updated 4.2.20 (10:00 p.m. ET)

ALL PARTNERS

  • Created website pages dedicated to COVID-19 including how citizens can support local businesses – hotels, retail, attractions, breweries and restaurants. (VisitLEX, Louisville Tourism, Visit Madisonville and Bardstown - Nelson Co. Tourism Commission)
  • Reposting every special offer, promotion and deal partners have posted. (Hopkinsville- Christian County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Munfordville Tourism and City of Cumberland Tourist Commission)
  • Working with government and the chamber on job openings, loans, aid, etc. (Woodford County Tourism Commission)
  • Created a New Care Act Eligibility Requirements page. (Oldham KY Tourism & Conventions)
  • Sending out a weekly communiqué to all partners them up on COVID-19 news as well as industry news. (Louisville Tourism and VisitLEX)
  • Produced a series of quick, simple videos to remind local residents to support restaurants, retail shops, our wineries and some other specific businesses that need their support right now. (Lawrenceburg/Anderson County Tourism Commission)
  • Horse Cave/Hart County Tourism has partnered with Munfordville Tourism to work with the local newspaper on an article about the impact of COVID-19 on local tourism businesses as well as purchasing two 1/2 page ads and a month of radio ads supporting local restaurants. (Horse Cave/Hart County Tourism and Munfordville Tourism)
  • Working with Muhlenberg County and Central City Tourism Commissions to create and update a COVID-19 Business Resource Page, with business hours and operations. (Greenville Tourism Commission)
  • Social media campaigns for local support of partners (Danville Boyle County CVB)
  • Posting updates for local hotels, restaurants and attractions to keep the community in the know. In particular, reminding the community to support locally owned businesses as best as they can during this time. (Pike County Tourism CVB and City of Cumberland Tourist Commission)
  • Transformed Facebook into the “Netflix of Lexington” featuring daily programming of tours, how-to videos, and other highlights of Lexington culture. The programming has included horse farm tours, cocktail classes, cooking classes with James Beard Foundation nominee Ouita Michel, yoga, and a musical performance of My Old Kentucky Home. We also are providing the cashless payment systems of each person during their video should viewers want to tip them using Venmo, Cash app and others.(VisitLEX)
  • President Mary Quinn Ramer wrote an Op-Ed in the Herald Leader titled “Let’s build each other up and support our hospitality industry in Lexington.” The op-ed was widely circulated and spoke about the importance of Lexington’s (and the region’s) hospitality industry. It also listed seven things that Lexingtonians could easily do to support the industry while staying healthy at home. (VisitLEX)
  • Letting industry partners know that all staff are all available via email for anything they need through weekly newsletters (VisitLEX)
  • Provided a list of social distancing activities in our area for the local community. (Kentucky Lake CVB)
  • Shifted social messaging to try and support local businesses as much as possible. (Kentucky Lake CVB)
  • Creating fun video challenges including a LIVE "Destination Pictionary" Game using Facebook to have an integrative experience with those at home. Topics include local "Attractions" in your area. People at home guess what the person is drawing on a dry erase board. (London - Laurel County Tourist Commission)
  • Curating and communicating the most relevant information, resources and opportunities for industry partners through a weekly partner bulletin series. (Paducah CVB)
  • Created posts in the News section of our website. One lists every restaurant in town and their current service offerings. The other focuses on what individual local retail shops are doing to continue serving customers. The posts are updated as circumstances change. Social media posts linking back to the News posts on our website are being boosted on Facebook, targeting residents in our immediate area. (Lawrenceburg/Anderson County Tourism Commission)
  • Coordinating with regional chamber on business interruption information, CARES Act information and supporting our local business that are open with social media campaigns such as Take Out Tuesday supporting our restaurants, Meet our Family Mondays promoting stories from our front line employees at attractions, hotels and restaurants and Feel Good Friday - stories about the good things that are happening in our region like our convention center becoming a homeless shelter and Fabulous Furs making face masks. (meetNKY)
  • Created a shop local/shop small video of local small business owners, encouraging the community to shop online and purchase gift cards during their closures. (Liberty Tourism and Convention Commission)
  • Partnering with our business advocacy groups to manage “Love What’s Local 42420,” a Facebook page with real-time updates on offerings from local businesses. (Henderson Tourist Commission)
  • Leading session on local small business call (happening daily and hosted by our Chamber). (Henderson Tourist Commission)
  • Partnering with the local Chamber, IDC, Board of Education, and media to promote small business curb side services. The push of local hashtags to show unity and support is utilized. (City of Leitchfield Tourism Commission)
  • Emailing pertinent information regarding SBA Loans, CARES Act, and etc. (Georgetown-Scott County Tourism)
  • Calling, talking and listening to our partners! They want to hear a friendly, reassuring voice. They can hear a smile. (Georgetown-Scott County Tourism)
  • Writing handwritten notes to various organizations and businesses (Georgetown-Scott County Tourism)
  • Sharing Tips on Ways the Community can help support local businesses (Georgetown-Scott County Tourism)

RESTAURANTS

  • Created a page called “Your Own Backyard Oldham County” where we are also posting what we call "Hometown Tourist Series" and "Oldham Tourism Tidbit". The first is educating people about our attractions/restaurants and what's going on with them. The latter is a combined post of problem/local solution. For example, the mask project was a result of there not being a designated drop-off point, and all stores in the Louisville area were sold out of all supplies. (Oldham KY Tourism & Conventions)
  • Helped establish and launch NourishLEX with several partners, including Keeneland and the EE Murray Family Foundation. This program helps hospitality workers get back to work during the pandemic. It allows those who have proper food handling licenses to sign up for a 4 hour shift (and get paid $60) to cook and prep for meals for those who are food insecure. Meals will be distributed to hospitality industry families, other families in need, seniors in affordable housing apartment complexes and children and their families through family resource coordinators. While this program started from a need during the COVID-19 outbreak, we are hoping that this program will continue for many years. To learn more visit www.nourishlexington.org. (VisitLEX)
  • Hosted a photo contest for food bought at local restaurants. (Corbin Tourism)
  • Promoting takeout, delivery and drive-thru service including crowd-sourced local map and Paducah Area Chamber restaurant updates. (Paducah CVB)
  • Partnered with other organization in the community to promote a receipt drop-off for a chance to win $500 to help support all local restaurants. (London - Laurel County Tourist Commission)
  • Collected, shared and promoting list of open restaurants that are open offering curbside and delivery for website and social media outlets. (Prestonsburg Tourism Commission, Bowling Green Area CVB, Oak Grove Tourism Commission & Convention, Somerset-Pulaski County CVB, Prestonsburg Tourism, Liberty Tourism and Convention Commission, City of Leitchfield Tourism Commission, Ashland/Boyd County Tourism, Georgetown-Scott County Tourism and Bardstown - Nelson Co. Tourism Commission)
  • Gift card giveaways of local restaurants that are remaining open, that the CVB purchased ourselves, to engage followers to continue supporting & eating out. (Murray CVB, Visit Madisonville and Boyd County Tourism and Convention Bureau)
  • Promotion of restaurant information including through Social media outlets (Visit Frankfort, Cadiz-Trigg County Tourism, Mayfield Graves County Tourism Commission and Boyd County Tourism and Convention Bureau)
  • Started a bingo card game for the restaurants (Harlan Tourism and City of Cumberland Tourist Commission)
  • Keeping track of the restaurants and writing a Blog (that can be easily updated) regarding who is still open and whether they have takeout or a drive thru window, etc. (Lake Cumberland Tourist Commission) 
  • Placed restaurant information in the local newspaper. (Grant County Tourism and City of Cumberland Tourist Commission)
  • Created a graphic listing all open restaurants and contact information. (Greenville Tourism Commission)
  • Serving as the main resource for citizens to connect with restaurants, which includes their pick up and delivery options and gift cards for future use. (VisitLEX)
  • Staff participated in several webinars and calls with the Small Business Administration to help be a resource for small businesses. (VisitLEX)
  • Encouraging residents to keep social distancing but to still support local businesses like purchasing gift cards and those businesses moving to curb side pick-ups. (Somerset-Pulaski County CVB and Mt. Sterling/Montgomery County Tourism)
  • Running ads and commercials to help support local restaurants. (Munfordville Tourism & Horse Cave/ Hart Count Tourism and City of Cumberland Tourist Commission)

HOTELS

  • Partnered with new Holiday Inn Express & Suites to form Private Office Room Rentals whereby business people who are not accustomed to working from home or may need more privacy than home allows, can rent a private office (hotel room) for the hours of 8am-6pm each day. The rooms can be rented by the day or by the week and if by the week, the worker can leave their items in "their office." Hours are Mon-Friday only. https://touroldham.com/private-office-rooms/ (Oldham KY Tourism & Conventions)
  • Advertising hotels through social media, etc. to travelling nurses and visiting physicians, as well as to those who need quiet work space. (Corbin Tourism and London - Laurel County Tourist Commission)
  • Checking in with our local hoteliers weekly to see how CVB can be of any assistance. (Prestonsburg Tourism Commission)
  • Called, sent industry information, and collected information from them for local, state and national room inquiries for hotels. (Bowling Green Area CVB)
  • Working with hotels for rescheduling & handling itinerary and assisting with occupancy issues (Visit Frankfort)
  • Provided promotional bags to all Hotels (Oak Grove Tourism Commission & Convention)

LOCAL BUSINESSES (Attractions, shops, etc.)

  • Started a social media campaign, #bardstownawaits, that will run until this pandemic is over and people can travel again. We are featuring one attraction each day at noon. We wish to let people know that Bardstown is still here and that we can't wait for our visitors to be able to come see us again. (Bardstown - Nelson Co. Tourism Commission)
  • Created ZOOM photos with local area attractions for those engaged on virtual meetings that could use them as backgrounds during the meeting. (London - Laurel County Tourist Commission)
  • Promoting shop local and support small business. (Corbin Tourism and Oak Grove Tourism Commission & Convention)
  • Created banner for outside of office encouraging community to think and buy local (Grant County Tourism)
  • Developing listings to show what services restaurants and boutique and antique shops are offering. (Corbin Tourism)
  • Social media takeovers for businesses. (Corbin Tourism)
  • Working with local attractions to promote virtual tours and at home activities (Visit Frankfort and Bowling Green Area CVB)
  • Changed all of our messaging during this time to drive people to our local economy (Harlan Tourism)
  • Filmed multiple videos about how to continue supporting the local economy (Harlan Tourism)
  • Created a dedicated social media page to post current offerings from local businesses.
  • Informing local businesses of all small business opportunities as they are passed down from the state including support, information, loan information, etc.
  • Supporting local tourism businesses on social media with updates and informing about the changing regulations. (Horse Cave/Hart County Tourism)
  • Hosting a Local Merchant Zoom meeting to discuss our small businesses can apply for assistance. (Mt. Sterling/Montgomery County Tourism)
  • Recorded "Support Local- Buy Gift Cards" commercials that are running (for free) on local radio stations. (Mt. Sterling/Montgomery County Tourism)
  • Keeping their Downtown Mt. Sterling Merchants Facebook page that keeps information updated multiple times per day, including the "Great America Take Out Tuesday" initiative and the "Great American Buy Local Drive" (Mt. Sterling/Montgomery County Tourism)
  • Participated in the Greater Louisville Arts & Cultural Alliance Facebook Takeover where Arts & Cultural organizations around Louisville recorded 30-second videos to keep folks inspired during this time.https://www.facebook.com/acalouisville/posts/ (Louisville Tourism)
  • Featuring ideas for showing local businesses support, social distancing outdoors and engaging in virtual experiences and learning opportunities that can be enjoyed from home while keeping our city and attractions top of mind. (Paducah CVB)
  • Promoting local retail businesses with a “Stay in, Shop Small” guide that encourages visitors to shop Paducah from home and locals to take advantage of curbside pick-up and local delivery options. (Paducah CVB)
  • Creating virtual tours of local attractions and trails. (Prestonsburg Tourism)
  • Developing social media features on each attraction to provide ideas for future travel plans. (Visit Frankfort)
  • Created Virtual Shopping Experiences with Local Retailers and events i.e. Main Street Saturday and the Sidewalk sale will be virtual shopping. Hosting Clean Sweep - A day for all businesses to get outside a spruce up store fronts. (Georgetown-Scott County Tourism)
  • Hosting Online conferences with Local Downtown Businesses to share ideas. (Georgetown-Scott County Tourism)
  • Offering a selection of Virtual Experiences from the comfort of your hotel room or home. (Georgetown-Scott County Tourism)

COMMUNITY AT LARGE / NON-TOURISM ENTITIES

  • Created a promotional scavenger hunt that required action items and local business support. (Hopkinsville- Christian County Convention & Visitors Bureau and Mayfield Graves County Tourism Commission)
  • Filmed a COVID-19 update video with our Mayor to grow a larger reach in the community. (Hopkinsville- Christian County Convention & Visitors Bureau)
  • Created a coloring contest of local landmarks and shared examples of new shopping methods and curbside pickup experiences. (Hopkinsville- Christian County Convention & Visitors Bureau)
  • Added all businesses to list of what's open/support for/provide support, etc. (Woodford County Tourism Commission)
  • Hosting a webinar for ideas for businesses (Woodford County Tourism Commission)
  • Pitching to partner related opportunities to media (Woodford County Tourism Commission)
  • Held a conference call with Rep Andy Barr for all community members (Woodford County Tourism Commission)
  • Cross promoting KY attractions for future visits. (Georgetown-Scott County Tourism)
  • Created an Oldham Tourism Community Mask Initiative (Oldham KY Tourism & Conventions)Created “Oldham Geocaching Trail” for 3 different ages groups in hopes that it helps parents who are homeschooling. The stops will be attractions so they can also become aware of what's in their own backyard. (Oldham KY Tourism & Conventions)
    • When we found out that all stores (even Walmart) are sold out of cotton, flannel, and elastic, we partnered with a local fabric shop for face masks. We had to order supplies from across the country to get enough supplies. We then pre-cut all the pieces and now offer Face Mask Kits for FREE. The community can order by form as many kits as they'd like to make masks. Each kit makes 20 masks. The Oldham KY Tourism office is the drop-off point and our Executive Director steam sanitizes them at home then delivers to long-term care facilities in Oldham County. https://touroldham.com/masks/
  • Offering to be a guiding source for all entities and people in our community by answering questions and concerns as they arise. (Prestonsburg Tourism Commission and Harlan Tourism)
  • Shared information from the health department, the governor’s office and other outlets to be a community player. (Hopkinsville- Christian County Convention & Visitors Bureau)
  • Created a COVID-19 resource button on our app that linked to the city’s page for central information. (Hopkinsville- Christian County Convention & Visitors Bureau)
  • Working with the Elks Lodge to write a grant that will enable us to purchase food from local restaurants to feed the homeless. (Corbin Tourism)
  • Posting videos of things to do in the community where people can comply with social distancing guidelines with helpful tips and ideas for the community. (Corbin Tourism and London - Laurel County Tourist Commission)
  • Working with the city and the state in their emergency management areas - to assist with needs of hotels, volunteers, getting info out. (Louisville Tourism)
  • Sharing local general information including small local business sales, home schooling interest, online yoga, distilleries making hand sanitizers, etc. (Bowling Green Area CVB)
  • Changed weekly podcast focused to informing the community, instead of sharing news/upcoming tourist events. (Murray CVB)
  • Maintaining accessibility for locals to ask questions & get information thru social media. (Visit Frankfort)
  • Producing positive messaging and curating content to provide areas to spread out and social distance. (Harlan Tourism)
  • Encouraging the community to "Stay Healthy at Home" but to also get fresh air and exercise, in a responsible way. (Mt. Sterling/Montgomery County Tourism)
  • Providing digital concerts, local authors reading their work, etc. (Harlan Tourism)
  • Produced game cards like "selfies from a safe social distance" (Harlan Tourism)
  • Participate in daily (Monday- Friday) conference calls with Hart County government officials and Barren River Health Department officials to relay COVID-19 and SBA updates to all businesses. We relay COVID-19 distancing warnings to the public via social media. (Horse Cave/Hart County Tourism)
  • Relay COVID-19 distancing warnings to the public and all pertinent COVID-19 info and SBA loan/grant info to local and regional industry partners via social media (Horse Cave/Hart County Tourism)
  • Decorated store fronts with inspirational signs, instead of simple closed signs.
  • Posting encouraging and uplifting pictures on social media including acts of kindness, creative use of time at home, as well as social distancing. (Oak Grove Tourism Commission & Convention, Greenville Tourism Commission, Liberty Tourism and Convention Commission and Ashland/Boyd County Tourism)
  • Created social media/website links to the KY COVID-19 information site so that it is easier to locate and keep informed. (Oak Grove Tourism Commission & Convention)
  • Partnered with local sign company who donated large vinyl lettering for the Visitor Center building to create four foot letters displaying "In This Together. #Etown #togetherky (Elizabethtown Tourism)
  • Created a Spring Break dashboard scavenger hunt of local attractions and interesting landmarks. (Elizabethtown Tourism)
  • Created an insertion (wrap) in Sunday's local newspaper with In This Together. #etown #togetherKY. (Elizabethtown Tourism)
  • Posting daily videos of local businesses for Facebook and Instagram implementing encouraging messaging. (Elizabethtown Tourism)
  • Published a series of "Backyard Adventures", featuring daily ideas and activities for adults and families while they are staying #HealthyAtHome. (Greenville Tourism Commission)
  • Created a #MuhlenbergProud campaign for people to share positive and encouraging stories and share them on our page. (Greenville Tourism Commission)
  • Working with a local community organization to create videos featuring community leaders showcasing what they are doing to stay #HealthyAtHome. (Greenville Tourism Commission)
  • Collaborating with event and festival organizers to act as a go-to resource for postponements, cancellations and rescheduled dates. (Paducah CVB, Cadiz-Trigg County Tourism, Somerset-Pulaski County CVB and Ashland/Boyd County Tourism)
  • Participating in our local "Bear Hunt" for children in our community. Adults are driving kids around looking for bears that businesses and home owners have displayed in their windows. 
  • Promoting the Chamber's "Mayfield Strong Together" Facebook Page (Mayfield Graves County Tourism Commission)
  • Produced a series of photo blog posts, highlighting local photographers and promoting local musician’s Facebook live performances. (Pike County Tourism CVB)
  • Sent an eblast to local consumer database who are within 20 miles of downtown Louisville (58,000+ emails). The eblast let them know that we were thinking of them during this time and included ways to explore & experience Louisville such as: A link to the attractions offering virtual tours & online education programming, Louisville VR tours, The "Lookin' at Louisville" video series, The "Bourbon & Biscuits" cooking series, and How to support local businesses. (Louisville Tourism)
  • Promoted a "Social Distancing Easter Egg Hunt" and provided businesses with decorated paper Easter eggs to display in their store fronts. Families can drive there kids through and see how many Easter Eggs they can find. (City of Cumberland Tourist Commission)
  • Providing updated information for visitors, industry partners and the public on COVID-19 landing page, including links to official sources (CDC, Governor Beshear and local health officials) as well as local attraction, business, event, restaurant and retail updates. (Paducah CVB)
  • Collecting and sharing inspiring local stories that spotlight the hospitality and tourism industry as well as the resilience and spirit of our community at large. (Paducah CVB)
  • Working with performance venues to digitize past shows and concerts that are being released for the public to watch for free. (Prestonsburg Tourism)
  • Joined with local hiking group to create a virtual hiking tour video. (Liberty Tourism and Convention Commission)
  • Shifting social media efforts to lifting our community up rather than promoting to visitors.(Henderson Tourist Commission)
  • Created chalk pop-up murals (with city permission!) for photo ops while people are out walking. (Henderson Tourist Commission)
  • Working on creating video series around Henderson. (Henderson Tourist Commission)
  • Supporting the Governor's initiatives by sharing all COVID-19 guidelines. (Visit Frankfort)
  • Emphasizing Healthy Living and Fresh Air content. (Georgetown-Scott County CVB)
  • Showcasing KY legends music, entertainment, and authors. (Georgetown-Scott County CVB)
  • Emailing smiles on Fun Friday. (Georgetown-Scott County Tourism)
  • Created a printable Community Cares Card (Georgetown-Scott County Tourism)
  • Sharing and Encouraging Acts of Kindness (Georgetown-Scott County Tourism)
  • Organized a Window Hop – Window Decorating – Drive by and walkable (Georgetown-Scott County Tourism)
  • Shifted from actively marketing Bardstown as a tourism destination to acting as a voice of reassurance and information resource for our community. (Bardstown - Nelson Co. Tourism Commission)

OTHER

  • Assisting planners with event cancellations & re-scheduling assisting group tour operators with information (Visit Frankfort)
  • Started a "Team Kentucky Tourism Director Support " Group on Facebook with two other Kentucky executive directors. This is a private group where Kentucky Tourism Directors can share ideas, smile and get support. (Lake Cumberland Tourist Commission)
  • Engaging with regional alliances while in this "wait" mode on how we can support the broader economic endeavors in the region and get ready for when it is "set" and "go" time. (meetNKY)
  • Working to ebook and relocate close to $11 million of convention business into later this year. (meetNKY)
  • Reaching out to our Motor-Coach Operators with notes of positivity and not call to actions. Keeping Georgetown in their minds for when travel opens up. (Georgetown-Scott County Tourism)
  • Strategic Planning on advertisement placements, editorial, social media, blogs, newsletter, and etc. to ensure we are effectively marketing Georgetown/Scott County appropriately. (Georgetown-Scott County Tourism)