Kentucky Tourism, Arts, and Heritage Cabinet

What Kentucky Tourism, Arts, and Heritage Cabinet does

The Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet (TAH) is a state government cabinet of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, headquartered at 500 Mero Street in Frankfort, Kentucky. It is responsible for promoting Kentucky tourism, supporting the arts, and preserving the state's cultural heritage. The cabinet operates as the official state tourism agency and oversees 13 subordinate agencies, including the Department of Tourism, Department of Parks, Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Kentucky Historical Society, Kentucky Humanities Council, Kentucky Heritage Council, Kentucky Venues (convention and exposition centers), Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, Kentucky Performing Arts, Governor's School for the Arts, Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea, Kentucky Arts Council, and Kentucky Horse Park. TAH coordinates tourism, arts, and heritage activity across all 120 Kentucky counties through marketing outreach, grant programs, and development incentives.

TAH's core offerings include a portfolio of state-owned tourism attractions (44 state parks including 17 resort parks and 13 golf courses, Kentucky Horse Park, Kentucky Artisan Center, Kentucky Performing Arts venues, and convention/exposition centers), grant programs (Kentucky Touring Grant, Kentucky Arts Partnership Grant, Individual and Emerging Artist Awards, Folk and Traditional Arts Apprenticeship, Teaching Art Together, TranspARTation, Kentucky Humanities Grant, Kentucky Local History Trust Fund Grant, and Kentucky Trail Town Grants), and incentive programs (Kentucky Tourism Development Act, Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits, Regional Marketing Matching Funds). Commercial revenue streams include Experience Kentucky Gift Cards (any denomination starting at $25, 5-year expiry) and Team Kentucky branded merchandise.

The cabinet is led by Secretary Lindy Casebier (appointed February 2023), with Deputy Secretary Sebastian Kitchen and Chief of Staff Mona Lewis Juett. It operates as part of Kentucky's executive branch under Governor Andy Beshear, with leadership appointments tied to gubernatorial cycles. The cabinet's funding derives from state appropriations rather than commercial revenue, and its operational mandate is to grow Kentucky's tourism economy, support arts and heritage institutions, and administer state-funded grants and tax-credit programs. In 2025, TAH reported Kentucky tourism achieved its best year on record with 81.1 million visitors, $10.4 billion in traveler spending, and $14.6 billion in total economic impact supporting 96,993 jobs.

Name

Kentucky Tourism, Arts, and Heritage Cabinet

Legal name

Kentucky Tourism, Arts & Heritage Cabinet

Website

https://tah.ky.gov

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet is a state government cabinet that promotes tourism, arts, and heritage across Kentucky, overseeing 13 agencies, 44 state parks, and major attractions like the Kentucky Horse Park and Artisan Center, serving 81.1 million annual visitors and administering grants and tax-incentive programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

State Government Tourism Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Parks, Gardens & Botanical Attractions (THAJACAH), Cultural Centers & Multidisciplinary Arts Institutions (THAJADAJ), Equestrian & Rodeo Facilities (MPAKAEAM), Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA)

Keywords

• State tourism management
• Arts grant programs
• Heritage preservation services
• State park operations
• Tourism development incentives

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfort

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Tourism Economic Impact: The cabinet oversees a $14.6 billion tourism industry generating revenue through visitor spending across accommodations, dining, attractions, and retail throughout Kentucky's 120 counties.
2. Experience Kentucky Gift Cards: Sale of gift cards for use at Kentucky State Resort Parks, Kentucky Artisan Center, and the 1792 Store at Kentucky Historical Society. Cards available in any denomination starting at $25.
3. Tourism Development Incentives: The Kentucky Tourism Development Act provides incentives to tourism projects, allowing recovery of up to 25% of approved development costs over 10 years through incremental sales tax generated by the project.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet is a state government cabinet that promotes tourism, administers arts and heritage programs, and manages 13 agencies including the Department of Tourism, Department of Parks, Fish and Wildlife Resources, Kentucky Historical Society, Kentucky Arts Council, Kentucky Performing Arts, and the Kentucky Artisan Center. It markets Kentucky as a travel destination, distributes grants to arts and heritage organizations, operates state parks and attractions, and administers tourism development incentives including tax credits and matching funds.

Product overview

The Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet (TAH) is a state government cabinet that does not operate a unified software product but instead manages a portfolio of tourism services, attraction venues, grant programs, and incentive initiatives. The core offerings include Experience Kentucky Gift Cards for use at state parks and attractions, Team Kentucky merchandise, and 13+ grant programs supporting tourism, arts, and heritage organizations. TAH oversees 44 Kentucky State Parks, major attractions including the Kentucky Horse Park, Kentucky Artisan Center, Kentucky Performing Arts venues, and historical institutions. The cabinet administers the Kentucky Tourism Development Act incentive program offering tax recovery benefits to tourism developers, along with Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits. Additional programs include marketing sponsorship opportunities, regional matching funds, and arts partnership grants administered through the Kentucky Arts Council and Kentucky Humanities Council.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Experience Kentucky Gift Cards: Versatile gift cards valid at Kentucky State Resort Parks, the Kentucky Artisan Center, and the 1792 Store at the Kentucky Historical Society.
• Team Kentucky

Products and services

• Experience Kentucky Gift Cards
• Team Kentucky Merchandise
• Kentucky State Parks
• Kentucky Horse Park
• Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea
• Kentucky Performing Arts
• Governor's School for the Arts Summer residential program providing hands-on arts opportunities for talented high school students in dance, theater, music, writing, architecture, and visual arts.
• Kentucky Arts Council State arts agency providing grants and technical assistance to arts organizations, community groups, local arts councils, and individual artists.
• Kentucky Historical Society Museum, library, educational institution, and research center overseeing two historic sites and protecting documents and artifacts for the public.
• Kentucky Center for African American Heritage Center dedicated to preserving and showcasing African American history and culture in Kentucky through collaboration with African American educators, artists, and historians.
• Kentucky Humanities Council Organization telling Kentucky's stories through writers, inventors, judges, musicians, and other contributors to Kentucky culture.
• Kentucky Heritage Council State Historic Preservation Office responsible for identification, protection, and preservation of prehistoric and historic resources.
• Kentucky Venues Operates the Kentucky International Convention Center and Kentucky Exposition Center for events ranging from board meetings to major music festivals.
• Kentucky Tourism Regional Marketing and Matching Funds Program Matching funds program providing financial support for regional tourism marketing initiatives across Kentucky.
• Kentucky Touring Grant Grant program supporting touring arts performances and exhibitions across Kentucky.
• Kentucky Arts Partnership Grant Partnership grant supporting arts organizations and programs throughout the commonwealth.
• Individual and Emerging Artist Award Grant Grant supporting individual artists and emerging artists in Kentucky.
• Folk and Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Grant Grant supporting apprenticeships in folk and traditional arts to preserve cultural heritage.
• Teaching Art Together Grant Grant supporting collaborative arts education programs.
• TranspARTation Grant Program Grant program supporting transportation for arts and cultural activities.
• Kentucky Humanities Grant Grant supporting humanities programs and community engagement initiatives.
• Kentucky Local History Trust Fund Grant Grant supporting local history organizations and preservation projects.
• Kentucky Trail Town Grants Grants supporting communities along trails in developing tourism infrastructure.
• Kentucky Tourism Development Act Incentive Program Incentive program allowing tourism projects to recover up to 25% of approved development costs over 10 years through incremental sales tax recovery.
• Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits Tax credits for rehabilitation of historic buildings and structures administered by the Kentucky Heritage Council.
• Travelin' the Bluegrass Podcast Agritourism podcast featuring seasons exploring Kentucky's agricultural tourism offerings, currently on Season 4.

Quantifiable outcome

• 81.1 million travelers visited Kentucky in 2025, generating $14.6 billion in economic impact
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Local Tourism PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with local tourism partners across Kentucky's 120 counties to coordinate tourism, arts, and heritage efforts through legislation, tourism development, and marketing outreach.
• Kentucky Center for African American HeritagecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe cabinet oversees the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, a collaborative effort of African American educators, artists, and historians dedicated to preserving and showcasing African American history in the region.
• Kentucky Tourism Development Finance AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe authority reviews and approves tourism development incentive applications. Meets monthly to approve incentive requests at 500 Mero Street, Frankfort, KY.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• I LOVE NY (New York State Tourism): I LOVE NY is New York State's tourism marketing brand and division, structurally similar to TAH as a state-government tourism program with parks, heritage, and arts components.
• Ohio Tourism (Ohio Department of Development): Ohio's state tourism office operates under the Department of Development and is a direct peer in promoting tourism, supporting state parks, and driving visitor spending in a bordering Midwest state.
• Visit Florida: Visit Florida is Florida's state tourism marketing corporation, operating as a direct peer in promoting tourism, attracting visitors, and supporting state-level economic development through tourism marketing.
• Indiana Tourism: Indiana Tourism is the state tourism agency of a neighboring Midwest state, comparable to TAH in promoting regional tourism, state parks, and cultural attractions.
• Visit California: Visit California is California's state tourism marketing agency, directly comparable to TAH as a state-level tourism organization managing marketing, partnership programs, and visitor engagement across all California counties.
• Virginia Tourism Corporation: Virginia Tourism Corporation is the state tourism agency for Virginia, operating destination marketing, partnership programs, and grant support analogous to TAH's incentive and grant ecosystem.
• Texas Tourism (Office of the Governor, Economic Development & Tourism): Texas Tourism is the state tourism office within the Governor's office, broadly comparable to TAH in its government-cabinet structure and statewide tourism marketing mandate.
• Tennessee Department of Tourism: Tennessee Department of Tourism is a neighboring state tourism agency with a comparable mission of promoting tourism, managing state parks, and supporting cultural heritage — directly competing for tourism share in the mid-South/Midwest corridor.

Broad incumbents

• Brand USA: Brand USA is the national destination marketing organization for the United States, comparable as a broader incumbent that coordinates and amplifies state-level tourism efforts like TAH's.

Others

• U.S. Travel Association: U.S. Travel Association is the national trade association for the U.S. travel industry, comparable to TAH as an industry-level stakeholder that aligns public policy and tourism development priorities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kytahc
• Facebookfacebook.com/KyTAHC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kentucky-tourism-arts-heritage-cabinet
• Instagraminstagram.com/ky.tahc/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Subsidiaries13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kentucky Tourism, Arts, and Heritage Cabinet