Arkansas Tourism Ticker: Growth moderates but continues for tourism industry in 2018
by March 18, 2019 6:30 pm 1,121 views
Collections of Arkansas’ 2% tourism set a new record in 2018 and hospitality tax collections among 17 Arkansas cities surveyed for the Arkansas Tourism ticker topped the $50 million mark in 2018.
The 2% tourism tax revenue totaled $16.428 million in 2018, and also marked the ninth consecutive year of revenue growth.
The Arkansas Tourism Ticker is managed by Talk Business & Politics, and sponsored by the Arkansas Hospitality Association. The ticker uses the following three measurements to review the health of the state’s tourism industry.
• Hospitality tax collections – prepared food tax and lodging tax – of 17 Arkansas cities (cities listed below along with collections for each city);
• Tourism sector employment numbers as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; and
• Collections of Arkansas’ 2% statewide tourism tax.
2018 marked the fourth consecutive year of growth as measured by the Arkansas Tourism Ticker. The 2017 Arkansas Tourism Ticker report showed a 2.18% gain in hospitality tax revenue among 17 Arkansas cities reviewed for the report, a 2.8% increase in collections of the state’s 2% tourism tax, and a 2.94% increase in Arkansas tourism industry jobs compared to 2016.
The 2016 Arkansas Tourism Ticker report showed a 4% gain in hospitality tax revenue among 17 Arkansas cities reviewed for the report, a 4.36% increase in collections of the state’s 2% tourism tax, and a 1.58% increase in Arkansas tourism industry jobs compared to 2015. In 2015, the report showed a 7.41% increase in hospitality tax revenue among the 17 Arkansas cities, an 8.31% increase in collections of the state’s 2% tourism tax, and a 5.04% increase in Arkansas tourism industry jobs compared to 2014.
Results for the 2018 Tourism Ticker report are:
• 3.1% increase
Hospitality tax revenue in 2018 among 17 Arkansas cities reviewed for the Arkansas Tourism Ticker compared with 2017 revenue
• 3.34% increase
Collections of Arkansas’ 2% statewide tourism tax in 2018 compared with 2017.
• 1.61% increase
Increase in monthly average of Arkansas’ tourism industry jobs in 2018 compared with 2017.
Link here for a PDF of the Arkansas Tourism Ticker full report and data.