2025 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA 

See below for KTIA's 2025 Legislative Agenda and other issues the association will be actively monitoring. You can also download the agenda by clicking the link below. Following the agenda is a link to an alert regarding the 1% tax issue.

Downloadable 2025 Legislative Agenda 
2025 KTIA LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
 
TOURISM MARKETING RESOURCES
  
Priority One – Preserve the 1% Statewide Transient Room Tax for Marketing 
All of Kentucky

These funds are intended for statewide tourism marketing and should not be redirected or diverted for other purposes.

Local Transient Room Tax: No Centralized Collection System

Such a system as advocated by Airbnb would cost $2.4 million and currently “there are no legal or technological barriers prohibiting online facilitators from complying with their collection and reporting responsibilities to Kentucky’s local transient jurisdictions.” Source: KY Department of Revenue  

Expand City Eligibility to Enact Restaurant Tax

All cities should be permitted to enact the restaurant tax IF doing so preserves current requirements in cities that currently have it and a reasonable portion of the monies from a new tax are dedicated to the city’s tourist commission.

TOURISM TECHNOLOGY

Provide Reasonable Technological Protections

Any legislation addressing technological issues, such as consumer data privacy and AI, should include ways to benefit the tourism industry and avoid counter-productive actions that are unnecessarily restrictive, burdensome or otherwise adverse to tourism interests.

FILM INCENTIVES
 
Resolve Inadvertent Funding Issue 

The 2024 General Assembly authorized much needed funds to bolster the marketing of the Kentucky Entertainment Incentive (KEI) Program. However, a technical error resulted in those funds not being made available. KTIA supports resolving the issue and making the funds available in support of the KEI Program.

ACTIVELY MONITORING

The following are issue areas that KTIA will be actively monitoring with positions to be adopted if warranted:

Short Term Rental
In addition to opposition to Airbnb’s advocacy for a centralized local transient room tax system, KTIA will assess any other legislation specific to short term rentals.
 
Legislation That is Not Welcoming to All Visitors
Kentucky’s welcoming attitude is a driving force in attracting a large and diverse array of visitors and the economic benefits that result. KTIA will monitor any legislation perceived as discriminatory and any reactions that are potentially damaging to tourism such as boycotts, cancellations, etc.
 
Human Trafficking
Where this horrific criminal activity occurs is often tourism related (hotels, major events, etc.). KTIA will monitor any human trafficking legislation and assess its effectiveness in addressing the issue while not imposing unreasonable requirements or restrictions on the industry.
 
Sector Specific
KTIA represents all sectors of Kentucky’s tourism industry and will be monitoring legislative proposals that have implications for any of those sectors.

LEGISLATIVE ALERTS

Preserve the 1% Transient Room Tax Initial Alert