The Clinton County Tourism Commission, which was created by ordinance and approved by the Clinton County Fiscal Court on a split vote, has now passed its first milestone, having been in existence for just over a year since forming in early 2016.

Tourism commission member Penny Jo Stearns, who is also administrative assistance to the judge/executive and an original proponent of creating the board to promote tourism, notes that the relatively new board in continuing to progress and make more plans for additional tourist attractions to the Albany and Clinton County.

One such event, which will be its second annual this year, will be the Bluegrass Yakmasters which will hold a fishing tournament on Dale Hollow Lake in late April.

That organization, which fishes on kayaks only, holds sanctioned fishing tournaments, fishing on various lakes around Kentucky and brings in around 60 fishermen to the areas where it holds its tournaments.

That event, according to Stearns, is planned for the weekend of April 29. The group will fish from different docks and have to have access to a kayak to fish from.

Stearns noted the tournament brings the fishermen into the area who use our docks, restaurants and lodging places and is just one of the events the tourism board is working on to attract big draws to the local area.

Stearns said the board is currently working on some events that hopefully will be officially announced in the weeks and months ahead for both the summer and fall season.

The board was also represented via a promotional booth at the most recent boat show in Louisville. ”What we want to do next year with that is to promote all the docks in the county,” Stearns said.

The board, according to Stearns, do have some funds built up and continuously look to begin seeing more attractions, such as concerts, car shows, and more, become annual events each year.

The tourism commission is also on Facebook and is in the process of developing a web page on the internet to promote the Albany and Clinton County area.

The tourism commission is funded solely by a three percent transient tax collected by lodging establishments in the county. Those fees come from out-of-town and state tourists with no local money being used. All proceeds from the tax go to the tourism board to use strictly for the promotion to tourism.

Stearns called the tourism commission’s first year a “success” and said “we are going in the right direction to promote the area.”