Tourism tax numbers up in Fort Smith, Van Buren

Hospitality tax collections in Fort Smith and Van Buren remain on an upward trend, and collections of Arkansas’ tourism tax are headed for two consecutive years of gains.

September collections in Van Buren totaled $33,398, up 2.97% compared to September 2010. For the first eight months of 2011, hospitality tax collections in Van Buren totaled $261,962, up 2.5% compared to the $255,558 in the 2010 period. Van Buren collects a 1% tax on lodging and a 1% tax on restaurants.

Maryl Koeth, executive director of the Van Buren Advertising & Promotion Commission, provided the following points on the tourism sector in the city.
• Lodging is up over 4.5% and restaurants are up 1% over the same period last year.
• Total year-to-date increase is 2% over last year.
• Certainly not a banner year, but at least we’re moving in upward direction.
• Hoping the mild weather and little rainfall will encourage fall travel.

For all of 2010, Van Buren hospitality tax collections totaled $395,195, down just 0.62% compared to 2009. For all of 2009, hospitality tax collections were down 7.1% compared to 2008. Hospitality tax collections for Van Buren in 2008 totaled $410,914, up 7.4% over 2007 and up more than 14.5% over 2006.

September collections in Fort Smith totaled $60,630, down 3.33% compared to September 2010. The September decline followed a surprising 12.7% gain in August collections.

Claude Legris, executive director of the Fort Smith Convention & Visitors Bureau, said hotel occupancy rates during September average 48.3%, down from 49.2% in September 2010.

“Although we saw a slight decline in September, we will be able to exceed the previous year in hospitality collections should this trend of modest increase through three quarters continue through the fourth quarter,” Legris said.

Fort Smith hospitality tax collections during the first nine months of 2011 total $542,806, up 3.23% over the $525,800 in the 2010 period. The city collects a 3% tax on lodging.

Hotel tax collections in Fort Smith during all of 2010 totaled $678,934, up 1.04% compared to 2009. During 2009, Fort Smith hospitality tax collections totaled $671,912, down more than 16% from 2008. Fort Smith hospitality tax collections in 2008 totaled $803,591, 11% more than the $723,548 collected in 2007, and more than 19% above 2006 collections.

In the Fort Smith metro area, there were an estimated 9,200 employed in the leisure and hospitality sector during September, down from the 9,400 employed in the sector during August, but above the 8,900 the sector employed in September 2010. Sector employment reached a high of 9,800 in August 2008, according to figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

STATE TOURISM

Arkansas’ 2% tourism collection garnered $8.262 million during the first seven months of 2011, up 2.94% compared to $6.994 million during the 2010 period. For all of 2010, the tax generated $11.492 million, up 0.99% compared to 2009. The collections were off the 2008 high of $12.005 million.

The state’s tourism sector — Leisure & Hospitality jobs — employed an estimated 103,200 during September, down compared to the 104,800 in August, and above the 100,000 during September 2010.