NWA Tourism Tax Collections Up 15.5 Percent From 2009 to 2013
by February 16, 2015 12:00 am 74 views
Northwest Arkansas’ growing reputation as a tourism destination is reflected in the most recent data available from the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism.
From 2009 through 2013, in the six-county region of Benton, Carroll, Crawford, Madison, Sebastian and Washington counties, tourism-tax collections grew 15.5 percent to $3.47 million.
The data reflects the totals from a 2 percent sales tax that is collected on tourism-related business including lodging, theme parks, marinas and camping.
And although collections figures from 2014 were only complete through the month of November, the totals have already exceeding the amount from 2013, with a total of $3.56 million collected through the first 11 months.
In a simpler year-over-year comparison, tourism-tax collections in the six-county area grew by 2.57 percent from 2012 to 2013.
Benton County continues to lead the tourism industry in the six-county area with $1.42 million in tax collections in 2013, and $1.45 million through the first 11 months of 2014.
Additionally, over the last five years, tourism tax collections in Benton County have increased 35 percent, from $1.05 million in 2009 to $1.42 million in 2013.
The increase is greater in Crawford County, with Van Buren as the county seat, where collections have risen from $120,553 in 2009 to $167,197, an increase of 38 percent.