Keeping Bentonville a place to live, not just visit

Nearly 25 years ago, in January 2001, I packed up and moved to Bentonville. Two days later, I started working at the local daily newspaper, the Benton County Daily Record. That paper is gone now, part of a growing list of things that used to be.

But I stayed. I worked in journalism for more than two decades, including 13 years (2011-2024) with the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal. Since July of last year, I have loved working for the University of Central Arkansas, where I lead the university’s engagement efforts in Northwest Arkansas. All of that while living right here in Bentonville.

This town has lasted longer for me than any other place I have called home in Arkansas. Longer than Bald Knob, Bryant or Arkadelphia. Over time, I have had a front-row seat to the transformation of this region into something few could have predicted in 2001. And yes, I remember when you could park downtown without needing a strategy.

Bentonville’s rise as a destination is undeniable. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Scott Family Amazeum. OZ Trails. Events and festivals. A global cycling scene. A growing food and hospitality culture. It has been an incredible stretch of momentum, investment and attention that will only continue to increase.

It is worth pausing to separate two things that are often conflated in conversation: tourism and population growth. Both are happening here, and I support both, but they bring opportunity and complexity, and affect a place in different ways.

Population growth increases the need for housing, schools, infrastructure and services. That is a long-term shift that requires long-term planning.

Tourism brings different pressures. It affects traffic, hotel and restaurant demand, and the rhythm of neighborhoods when the number of short-term rentals starts to rise. It can also change the feel of a place when visitors begin to outnumber locals in parts of town.

Case in point: I live not far from Coler Mountain Bike Preserve. A house next to mine operates as an Airbnb. I’ve met guests from all over, including a couple from Maine who came here for a regular spring weekend of mountain biking. Not for Bike Fest or a race. Just because. They pedaled, they dined, they slept a few feet from my fence and then flew home.

My focus here is on tourism. Specifically, what happens when a place becomes so popular with visitors that it starts to feel unfamiliar to the people who live here full time.

Along with all of Bentonville’s success, I have noticed a quieter, recurring question: Who is all this growth really for? These are not complaints. They are reflections I have heard from people who live here, love it and want to keep loving it.

That question became clearer to me after reading an Associated Press story about overtourism in Barcelona. Fifteen million visitors last year in a city with 1.7 million residents. Whole neighborhoods converted into short-term rentals. Housing prices up 30%. Locals pushed out of the places they helped build.

In some Spanish cities, protests have broken out. Some residents used water pistols to symbolically spray tourists.

To be clear: I’m not endorsing water pistols as a planning tool. And Bentonville is not Barcelona. But there are numbers worth thinking about.

Visit Bentonville, the city’s tourism bureau, reported that the economic impact from events more than doubled in 2024, from $19 million to $41 million. That growth came from a record 310 events, including major draws like the Bentonville Film Festival, the Life Time Big Sugar Classic mountain bike race, museum visitors and dozens of youth sports tournaments.

Nearly half of all restaurant sales in Bentonville now come from visitors. One in four people dining in town is not from here.

None of this is bad news. I like the energy. I like that people want to be here. We welcome visitors from all over the world. In a word, it is cool. But it is also okay to acknowledge that not everything feels like a win for everyone. Ask someone trying to rent a home near their job. Or a young teacher looking to settle here. Or a service worker commuting 45 minutes to cover a shift downtown.

In my role at UCA, I spend time talking with a lot of people across Northwest Arkansas. I do not have all the answers, but I do hear a common theme. People want thoughtful growth. They want to feel included in the changes happening around them. That means listening. Planning for housing and access. Asking who benefits and making sure there’s room for everyone on the upside.

On Tuesday, the Greater Bentonville Area Chamber of Commerce will host “The State of Tourism” as part of its Build Bentonville luncheon series. It’s a timely reminder that tourism is no longer a side topic. It’s vital to how this city is growing and how we talk about our future.

Bentonville has built something special. My brother, who lives in Maumelle, jokingly refers to this place as “the land of milk and honey,” and there is some truth to that. But places don’t stay special by accident. They stay that way because people care enough to pay attention and stay involved.

Tourism has a role. But it can’t be the only thing that defines us. And you do not have to be anti-tourist to ask a fair question. What kind of place are we building, and for whom is it intended?

It is not a problem to panic over. But it is one to plan for if we want Bentonville to remain a place to live, not just visit.

Editor’s note: Paul Gatling is the senior director of engagement for the University of Central Arkansas. He lives in Bentonville and can be reached at [email protected]. The opinions expressed are those of the author.