by - July 18, 2025 9:35 pm
Arkansas welcomed 52 million visitors in 2024, a 2.6% increase over 2023, according to the Arkansas Department of Parks Heritage and Tourism (ADPHT). The agency on Friday (July 18) posted…
by - November 21, 2024 6:09 pm
The outdoor recreation economy added 2.5% to Arkansas gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023, above the U.S. average of 2.3%, and outdoor recreation jobs were 3% of Arkansas’ total jobs,…
by - October 17, 2024 9:54 pm
Arkansas tourism is now a $9.9 billion industry, and an estimated 50.7 million people visiting the state in 2023, up 17.1% compared with 2022 visitors, according to an economic impact…
by - August 25, 2024 3:19 pm
Arkansas Tourism Director Dalaney Thomas said the state’s 2% tourism tax collections continue to rise with fiscal year 2024 (June 2023-July 2024) closing out at a record $26.363 million, up…
by - March 3, 2024 9:23 am
Arkansas’ second largest economic sector had a record setting 2022 as an estimated 48.3 million visitors came to the Natural State. State officials are hopeful expansion within the sector, such…
by - February 26, 2024 5:30 pm
Tourism, the state’s second-largest economic sector, has surged since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, and sector stakeholders think this year may even be better. More than 500 people are…
by - February 9, 2024 4:01 pm
Editor’s note: The State of the State series provides reports twice a year on Arkansas’ key economic sectors. The series publishes stories to begin a year and stories in July/August…
by - October 16, 2022 9:53 am
Stacy Hurst, Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, has seen highs and lows in the industry she oversees. She couldn’t be happier with tourism industry’s rebound…
by - March 2, 2022 6:21 pm
The 2020 Arkansas Tourism Economic Impact Report shows a 35.6% decline in leisure travelers to the state and a more than 25% decline in overall tourism economic impact compared with…
by - June 21, 2021 2:37 pm
Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced Monday (June 21) the creation of the Arkansas Office of Outdoor Recreation and the expansion of outdoor recreation in the state that includes an agreement with…
by - May 9, 2021 10:30 am
Stacy Hurst, Arkansas’ secretary of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, said while the recent legislative session spiked emails to her agency due to negative national headlines, there were also a number…
by - September 18, 2020 2:30 pm
Tourism continued to have a strong economic impact on Arkansas in 2019. Data released from the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism showed just under 69,000 worked directly within…
by - August 6, 2020 11:49 am
In Arkansas, the tourism and hospitality industry is a significant source of employment and revenue. Only agriculture is a more substantial business in the state. Like so many industries, tourism…
by - April 22, 2020 5:20 pm
The tourism industry in Arkansas looks to be faring the COVID-19 pandemic better than other states, but the health crisis is expected to have the biggest impact on the leisure…
by - February 29, 2020 5:17 pm
With dedicated entertainment districts popping up across the state, new attractions set to open and more trails being developed to showcase some of the best of The Natural State, tourism…
by - February 21, 2020 2:27 pm
Travis Napper has been named director of Arkansas Tourism, a department of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism (ADPHT). He replaces Jim Dailey, who retired at the end…
by - February 12, 2020 5:07 pm
Arkansas Tourism received the State Tourism Office of the Year by the Southeast Tourism Society. The 2020 Shining Example Award winners were announced during the Southeast Tourism Society’s annual Connections…
by - October 30, 2019 5:06 pm
Arkansas’ natural beauty will be showcased in a traveling exhibit produced by Arkansas Tourism. The Ritz Theater in Blytheville will be the first location to host “Arkansas’s Scenic Tourism Landscapes.”…
by - August 4, 2019 10:18 am
Arkansas’ tourism industry has been on a roll for a decade. Following a dip — experienced in nearly every state during the Great Recession — the Natural State rebounded quickly…
by - June 9, 2019 9:53 am
What does a NASCAR legend, a British pop phenomenon, and one of the most famous novelists in American history have to do with Arkansas tourism? For Northeast Arkansas, Mark Martin,…
