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State tourism tax collections continue to grow

Arkansas hosted more than 32 million visitors in 2018 who spent $7.37 billion in total travel expenditures, $408 million in state taxes and $161 million in local taxes, according to data released by the Division of Arkansas Tourism.

Arkansas Tourism’s 2018 economic impact report, online at www.Arkansas.com/industry-insider/research-services, illustrates that tourism continues to make a significant, positive economic impact and remains vital to Arkansas’s economy.

“For those of us who call Arkansas home, the virtues of our state are clear – stunning scenic views, compelling cultural attractions and award-winning culinary opportunities, to name a few,” said Stacy Hurst, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. “This economic impact data reminds us that visitors from across the globe travel to The Natural State to discover top-notch visitor experiences.”

The 2% tourism development trust fund also continues to grow and is up by 2.7% over 2017. In addition, nearly 68,000 Arkansas jobs are directly related to the travel industry.

Among the other key findings for 2018:

  • Arkansas’s total travel expenditures are up 4.4%.
  • Travel-generated local tax is up 2.9%.
  • Travel-generated payroll is up 3.3%.
  • Travel-generated state tax is up 2.7%.
  • And travel-generated employment is up 1.2%.