Arkansas Tourism Ticker: 2% tourism tax revenue on pace to set new record

Arkansas’ 2% tourism tax revenue between January and August was $18.392 million, up 5.2% compared with the $17.482 million in the same period of 2023. The August revenue of $2.254 million set a new record for the month. A record for monthly 2% collections was set in June with $2.839 million.

Of the top five counties in terms of 2% tax collections, Pulaski and Garland counties posted declines of 0.83% and 2.68%, respectively. Benton County posted the largest percentage increase among the top five counties at 14.76%.

The 2% tourism tax revenue in 2023 was $25.446 million, up 5.8% compared with the $24.049 million in 2023. Revenue in each month of 2023 set a new record, with those gains compared to record numbers in 2023.

January-August hospitality tax collections among 17 cities surveyed for the Arkansas Tourism Ticker were up 3.7% compared with the same period in 2023.

The Arkansas Tourism Ticker is managed by Talk Business & Politics, and sponsored by the Arkansas Hospitality Association and the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism. 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.

Results for the January-August 2024 Tourism Ticker report are:
• 3.7% increase
Hospitality tax revenue in January-August 2024 among 17 Arkansas cities reviewed for the Arkansas Tourism Ticker compared with the same period in 2023

• 5.2% increase
Collections of Arkansas’ 2% statewide tourism tax in January-August 2024 compared with the same period in 2023

• 0.9% increase
Gain in monthly average of Arkansas’ tourism industry jobs in January-August 2024 compared with the same period in 2023

The combined hospitality tax collections in the 17 cities totaled $48.489 million in January-August 2024, up 3.7% compared with the $46.772 million in the same period of 2023. Monthly average tourism sector jobs in January-August 2024 was 128,150, up 0.9% compared with 127,010 in the same period of 2023. The sector reached record monthly employment of 130,200 in March 2024.

Link here for a PDF of the complete Arkansas Tourism Ticker.