Kentucky’s state resorts will have a much more prominent presence in travel material distributed by the American Automobile Association, Parks Commissioner George Ward said today.

     State parks will be featured in an advertisement on the inside front cover of the 2005 Kentucky-Tennessee AAA TourBook, Ward said. The highly visible position of the ad is designed to entice prospective travelers to Tennessee to instead consider vacationing at a Kentucky state park. Kentucky state resorts also will be listed in bold type in the TourBook’s accommodations section.

    State resorts also will be highlighted on the AAA web site. Detailed information and four photos will be displayed for each resort listed.

    The state’s investment of about $39,000 in advertising funds will be returned many times over, Ward said.

     “An estimated 5.3 million AAA members stayed overnight in Kentucky in 2001, according to research,” Ward said. “They accounted for nearly 40 percent of all room nights in Kentucky. It’s inconceivable to me that our parks haven’t been actively promoted to this important market segment in the past. We look forward to reaping the benefits of investing in this market.”