Mark Calitri speaks tourism: Visit Owensboro, Chamber, EDC create task f...

-

This post was originally written in 2025, when Owensboro was building early momentum in tourism, events, and community partnerships.

Looking back now, many of these foundations helped lead to the national growth, record bookings, and expanded visibility we’re seeing today.

I’m keeping this post live because it shows how consistency, leadership, and long-term planning create real results.

— Mark Calitri

Popular posts from this blog

Built in Harlan, Kentucky: Hustle, Effort, and Pride | Mark Calitri

-
 Written by Mark Calitri, President, Visit Owensboro Sports don’t just entertain us. They show us how winning actually happens.     During the Kentucky All-A Championships, one game looked over before it ever started. One team came in as the clear favorite, carrying a much better record. On paper, it felt like a mismatch.     Across the court stood a team from Harlan, deep in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky.     Harlan arrived with a losing record —the only team in the tournament that did—and by every standard people like to use, they weren’t supposed to matter. One problem—nobody told them.     From the opening tip, Harlan went right at it, playing faster and tougher, winning the loose balls, beating teams down the floor, and fighting for every rebound. They didn’t hesitate. They flat-out worked harder.     When the final horn sounded, Harlan—the team with the losing rec...
Read more

Bluegrass Fieldhouse: How Owensboro’s New Sports Complex Will Drive Tourism

-
Image
 Owensboro’s new indoor sports complex—Bluegrass Fieldhouse—is close to opening. You’ll hear updates about construction timelines and final details. That’s not the part that matters most. Here’s what this really means. What Is the Bluegrass Fieldhouse? The Bluegrass Fieldhouse is being built to bring people into Owensboro who don’t live here. Teams. Families. Coaches. Visitors who come for a weekend and spend money while they’re here. They book hotel rooms. They eat at local restaurants. They shop in local stores. That money wasn’t here before they arrived. That’s the difference. How the Owensboro Sports Complex Brings in Outside Dollars This Owensboro sports complex gives the city the ability to host tournaments and events it couldn’t before. Multiple courts. Flexible space. Built for sports tourism. This is exactly what event operators look for when deciding where to bring their events. If those events come here, the impact is simple: Hotels stay full Restauran...
Read more

Malibu Jack’s Brings $18.3 Million Tourism Investment to Owensboro

-
  Malibu Jack’s Indoor Theme Park Brings Major Tourism Investment to Owensboro Tourism growth happens when communities continue building experiences that attract visitors and strengthen the local economy. Owensboro, Kentucky is seeing that momentum with the arrival of Malibu Jack’s Indoor Theme Park , a major family entertainment attraction bringing an $18.3 million private investment and more than 100 jobs to the community. A statewide tourism development report from The Lane Report highlighted the project as one of several major tourism investments approved across Kentucky. Read the report here: https://www.lanereport.com/185621/2026/01/5-new-tourism-development-projects-118-million-invested-in-2025/ According to the report, five tourism projects were approved statewide in 2025 totaling $118 million in new investment and nearly 300 jobs . Among those projects is Malibu Jack’s Indoor Theme Park in Owensboro , placing the city among several Kentucky communities benefiting from n...
Read more