States Tourism Industry Shows Strength in 2015
by March 28, 2016 12:00 am 89 views
The tourism industry in Arkansas generated more than $7 million in revenue last year, according to the 2015-16 annual report released March 21 by the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism.
According to the data, 28.1 million visitors spent $7.2 billion in total travel expenditures — up 8.6 percent from $6.6 billion in 2014 — $374 million in state taxes and $137 in local taxes.
The number of visitors also increased 8.6 percent from 25.8 million in 2014.
The 2 percent sales tax collected on tourism-related business also broke a nine-year record for percentage of growth in fiscal year 2015.
Kane Webb, executive director of the ADPT, said in a statement that the numbers provide further evidence of tourism’s importance to the state’s economy.
“It is a vital industry, an economic development driver and it is growing,” he added.