Arkansas Tourism Ticker: 2% tourism tax revenue up more than 9% early 2026

Arkansas’ 2% tourism tax revenue rose more than 9% in the first two months of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025. The tax set a new February record of $1.922 million, which was up 9.5% compared with the previous record of $1.756 million in February 2024.

The 2% tourism tax revenue between January and February was $3.472 million, up 9.3% compared with $3.177 million in the same period of 2025. The 2026 numbers are up against a 2025 when the tourism tax revenue declined 0.26% compared with 2024 collections.

January-February hospitality tax collections among 17 cities surveyed for the Arkansas Tourism Ticker were down 0.4% compared with the same period in 2025. Monthly average tourism sector jobs in January-February 2026 was 134,850, up 3% compared with 130,950 in the same period of 2025.

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-February 2026 Tourism Ticker report are:
• 0.4% decline
Hospitality tax revenue in January-February 2026 among 17 Arkansas cities reviewed for the Arkansas Tourism Ticker compared with the same period in 2025

• 9.3% increase
Collections of Arkansas’ 2% statewide tourism tax in January-February 2026 compared with the same period in 2025

• 3% increase
Gain in the monthly average of Arkansas’ tourism industry jobs in January-February 2026 compared with the same period in 2025

Link here for a PDF of the January-February 2026 Arkansas Tourism Ticker.