State organization provides support for tourism professionals in advancing the industry
SOMERSET, KENTUCKY (January 2, 2025) — Lake Cumberland Tourism Executive Director Michelle Allen has been selected to serve as vice president of the Kentucky Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus (KACVB), the state’s leading support organization for tourism professionals in advancing the industry through education, advocacy, and networking.
“It is an honor to serve in this role, working alongside a host of wonderful friends and colleagues to help raise the bar for the tourism industry in Kentucky,” Allen said. “I am proud of the work KACVB is doing to help and encourage the state’s tourism professionals, providing education and increasing awareness about the issues we face and giving us tools for success in promoting our state.”
Allen — who also serves as a board member of the Kentucky Travel Industry Association (KTIA), chair of the Southern Kentucky Vacations region, vice chair of the Somerset-Pulaski Economic Development Authority (SPEDA), and vice chair of the Dream Big Burnside Authority — has been dedicated to building a thriving southern Kentucky for more than two decades. Her tourism career began with Tour Southern and Eastern Kentucky, where she led marketing and economic education for the region’s 47 counties. She earned a bachelor’s degree in broadcasting/communications from Eastern Kentucky University and a tourism marketing professional certificate from South East Tourism Society’s Marketing College at the University of North Georgia.
After five years as a board member of the Somerset-Pulaski County Convention and Visitors Bureau, she was selected as the organization’s director in 2018.
“Michelle Allen is an incredible champion for the tourism industry in Kentucky,” said Lori Saunders, KACVB president and director of Georgetown-Scott County Tourism. “Her vision and dedication will be instrumental in helping KACVB continue to grow and serve as a resource for tourism professionals statewide.”
In addition to being a leading resource for front-line hospitality training, Allen is known across the Commonwealth for her passion and advocacy for strengthening the connection between tourism and economic development. Under her leadership, tourism spending in Somerset-Pulaski County has increased 29 percent — from $119 million in 2019 to a record-breaking $150.9 million in 2023. Somerset-Pulaski County has also seen similar economic growth. Since 2019, the Capital of Lake Cumberland has experienced $500 million in new business investment and existing business expansion, creating more than 1,000 new jobs.
Allen attributes this growth to a renewed focus on quality of life and place, driven by leadership and partnerships that move the community forward.
“Every success we’ve had in Somerset-Pulaski County in the past six years is a result of the partnerships we have worked so hard to build,” Allen said. “When everyone works together for a common purpose, the results you see are astounding. I am so grateful for those relationships. I look forward to building more across the state as the vice president of the KACVB and am excited to support my colleagues in every way I can.”
