Tourist Commission

The Harrodsburg/Mercer County Tourist Commission was created to market the city and county as a travel destination to generate revenue for the local economy.

In 1979, the Harrodsburg City Commission and the Mercer County Fiscal Court established the Harrodsburg/Mercer County Tourist Commission pursuant to KRS 91A.350.  A three percent (3%) transient room tax funds the operations of the commission.  There are 7 hotels/motels/inns, 5 bed & breakfasts, 2 fishing cabins and 1 lake house rental in Harrodsburg and Mercer County, which provide a total of approximately 350 lodging rooms.    
 
The Harrodsburg/Mercer County Tourist Commission operates the Diamond Point Welcome Center located 488 Price Avenue.  
  
Since its inception, the Harrodsburg/Mercer County Tourist Commission's primary goal has been to enhance the city and county's economy through tourism development - to promote and sell Harrodsburg as a destination for leisure, group and business travel.   The collection of transient room tax provides the resources to promote the area to the best of the agency's financial ability.  An extensive marketing plan promotes "Historic Harrodsburg" as Kentucky's First Settlement and entices travelers to visit the variety of historic attractions offered.  Due to the Commission's marketing efforts for over twenty-six years, the tourist attractions of Mercer County are well known throughout the state and national tourism industry.

A variety of activities and promotional efforts are carried out by the Commission in order to stimulate the tourism market on a local, regional, state and national level.  The Commission interfaces with the tourism industry through professional affiliations, consumer travel shows, group motorcoach marketplaces, direct mail, Internet and personal contact.
 
In addition to encouraging visitors to the area, the Harrodsburg/Mercer County Tourist Commission works to fulfill customer needs and enhance their satisfaction with the community's tourism products and services.  Through cooperative efforts with city and county governments, trade and civic organizations, hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, restaurants, and area attractions, the Commission works to increase the appeal of Harrodsburg and Mercer County to tourists.

New statewide tourism statistics released in July of 2006 by the Kentucky Department of Tourism indicated that tourism expenditures in the state, for the year 2005, were $9.4 billion and created over 176,200 tourism-related jobs.  Expenditures statewide were up 8.2% from 2004. 

According to the report, tourism in Mercer County increased 11.2% in 2005 and added $26.9 million to the local economy.  
 
In Kentucky's Bluegrass Region, which includes Mercer County, the expenditures for 2005 were over $2 billion.

For tourist attractions and events here in Mercer Co. see the tourist commission's website:

Tourist Commission