Gov. Sanders: Doubling tourism industry, growing jobs are top goals

Speaking to hospitality leaders from across the state, Gov. Sarah Sanders reiterated her goal of doubling the state’s tourism industry over the next decade.

By Roby Brock
Talk Business & Politics

Speaking to hospitality leaders from across the state, Gov. Sarah Sanders reiterated her goal of doubling the state’s tourism industry over the next decade.

Sanders spoke to the Arkansas Hospitality Association at its annual convention and conference held in Little Rock on Tuesday (Sept. 19).

Armed with fresh numbers from the state’s tourism tax collections and new employment data, Sanders noted that tax dollars collected from travelers and tourists are up 9% year-over-year. Employment in the leisure and hospitality sector has reached a record high in 2023.

“In my administration, we’re working hard to make sure that the hospitality industry is thriving and growing for generations to come,” she said “Just today, we announced that tourism tax revenue, a very good measure of industry spending, is up nearly 9% since this time last year. Tourism employment reached a record high earlier this year, and our goal is to grow it even more.”

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