Tourism officials eyeing new attractions to grow visitors in 2024

Arkansas’ second largest economic sector had a record setting 2022 as an estimated 48.3 million visitors came to the Natural State. State officials are hopeful expansion within the sector, such as the U.S. Marshals Museum in Fort Smith, will spur those numbers further when the 2023 figures are released later this summer.

Shea Lewis, the Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, and Director of Tourism Dalaney Thomas gave a recap of some of the factors that impacted tourism during the 50th annual Arkansas Governor’s Conference in Tourism that was held a week ago in Jonesboro. The two also talked about marketing efforts to spur visitor numbers in 2024.

The Marshal’s Museum opened June 29, 2023. Reportedly, 10,000 people visited the museum during its first month of operation. An estimated 125,000 visitors will come to the museum annually. It took 16 years to raise nearly $50 million to fund the project.

“After years of effort and fundraising … It finally came to fruition,” Lewis said.

Other notable tourist-related events in 2023 include the opening of the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, Monument Trails being rated as the best mountain biking trails in the country and the start of the Natural State Initiative.

The initiative, started by Gov. Sarah Sanders and spearheaded by her husband, Bryan Sanders, hopes to double the size of the state’s $9 billion tourism sector and double the number of people employed within the sector. It will focus on outdoor recreation.

Lewis and Thomas said the department has narrowed its focus to several key sub-sectors that include outdoor recreation, arts, culture, hunting, fishing, music, festivals, and culinary. Thomas said this year they want to focus on places and events in the state that haven’t been as promoted in the past.

The city of Hardy, a tourist hamlet that sits on the Spring River in northern Sharp County, is one town they hope to take pictures of this year and include more in literature and advertising that will be sent out, Thomas said. The Pie Festival started a few years ago in nearby Cherokee Village, is one of the festivals they hope to promote more.

One area of emphasis has been promotion of Arkansas’ mountain biking trails, Thomas said. Outside magazine rated the state’s mountain biking trails as the best in the country.

Perhaps the most significant tourism event in 2024 will occur April 8, when a swath of the state will be in the direct path of a full solar eclipse. Nearly 2 million people are expected to be in or near the state the day of the eclipse and the days leading up to the rare event.

The department has an eclipse information tab at arkansas.com, Thomas said.

A marketing campaign targeting 15 states – virtually every western state – is underway, Thomas said. Many bike enthusiasts live or travel in those states but they all have one thing in common. The weather is unpredictable this time of year, and Arkansas has many warmer days and less hazardous travel weather than many of those states in the winter.

“It’s not snowing here,” Thomas said.

The department has a marketing and advertising budget of about $12.7 million, she said. About 97% of the budget is spent on digital, while television, radio, and print get about 1% each.

“We will assess how this works this year and make changes in 2025,” she said.