The American Countess, the most recent paddlewheeler from American Queen Voyages, will make its initial check out to the Owensboro riverfront, stopping at 8 a.m. Friday, June 17 at English Park.
It is scheduled to return on June 26 and June 30.
Mark Calitri, president of the Owensboro-Daviess County Convention & People Bureau, explained he was in Louisville earlier this week assembly with Mike Berry, secretary of the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, and officials from American Queen Voyages.
The meeting was to motivate the enterprise to make much more stops in Kentucky with its paddlewheelers — the American Queen, American Duchess and the American Countess.
“The American Queen Voyages tours build new prospects for our business that will aid generate tourism pounds to river communities and sights all over the commonwealth,” Berry reported in an electronic mail. “This special travel working experience, merged with the governor and Common Assembly’s bipartisan financial investment in the tourism sector, engage in a crucial function in our efforts to posture Kentucky as premiere vacation vacation spot.”
The firm claimed in an electronic mail, “We are really very pleased of our newest paddlewheeler, her incredible officers/crew and equally very pleased she calls on 7 ports in Kentucky through the year.”
It included, “Our workforce appears to be ahead to collaborating on many items discussed jointly, which include condition agritourism, the Unfiltered Fact Selection, the Bluegrass Hall of Fame, Meade County Civil War Times and all things bourbon.”
The boat’s web site suggests it can have up to 245 travellers with a crew of 110.
The Countess is 318 toes very long and has 4 decks.
“It’s my career to collaborate with the American Queen crew in coordinating tours with the ships’ most requested associates, like the Owensboro Museum of Fantastic Arts, Bluegrass Songs Hall of Fame, Eco-friendly River Distilling and the Botanical Gardens,” reported Sarah Haynes, the CVB’s desired destination sales and company supervisor. “Ship visitors get pleasure from strolling alongside Owensboro’s astounding riverfront scene and downtown stores.”
Calitri stated three tour busses accompany the paddlewheelers to shuttle passengers within just a group.
“I also coordinate what we phone hop on/hop off guides,” Haynes said. “These guides journey tour buses while in Owensboro and have interaction with our friends and give vital info on Owensboro and Daviess County. These guides are energetic local community customers who have passion and pleasure about their local community.”
Kirk Kirkpatrick, a single of the guides, claimed, “It’s really satisfying, as readers are often pleasantly amazed at Owensboro’s amenities. The museums, riverfront and the astounding story about how they all came about. The only two points most of them know about Kentucky is the Derby and Kentucky Fried Chicken.
“It’s a authentic wakeup connect with for them to see a group with these types of incredible high-quality-of-lifetime capabilities.”
Daviess County Clerk Leslie McCarty is also a hop on/hop off guide.
“It’s significant to link with our friends on a particular degree,” she stated, “and I love highlighting how substantial Owensboro is to Kentucky background.”
The American Countess, formerly the Kanesville Queen, a casino boat, was christened in March 2021.
“The efforts created by Owensboro’s Convention and Visitors Bureau to engage the Ohio River boat excursions is of significant value in introducing Owensboro’s impressive arts neighborhood to a larger audience,” said Mary Bryan Hood, director of the Owensboro Museum of Good Artwork. “As the 2nd largest artwork museum in Kentucky, the Owensboro Museum of Fine Artwork is delighted to have this option to further more showcase its exhibitions and long term collections to website visitors from across the region.”
What is now the CVB has been attempting for additional than 40 years to persuade steamboat companies to make Owensboro a normal port of connect with.
But Calitiri stated the endeavours are shelling out off this 12 months with the American Queen, American Duchess and the American Countess scheduled to end at English Park 14 situations by Nov. 9.
Each and every will deliver in between 150 and 400 travellers from as much absent as California, Delaware, Massachusetts, Michigan and Minnesota to city, he said.