by Tina Alvey Dale (tdale@talkbusiness.net)
Arkansas’ new secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, Mike Mills, believes now is an exciting time for the department. The almost 50-year veteran of the state’s tourism sector says the industry has recovered from the pandemic.
“As Arkansas State Parks celebrates its centennial year, the Arkansas tourism industry continues to thrive, having increased revenue consistently for the past 20 months,” said Mills, who was appointed to the cabinet position Jan. 12.
Data released by the department in September shows Arkansas’ tourism industry had record-breaking visitation in 2021 and has recovered after the significant decline in 2020 that was a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The state saw over 41 million visitors in 2021 compared to 29.2 million in 2020 and 36.3 million in 2019. Lodging spending increased 49% after a fall of 29% in 2020. That rebound led to lodging spending exceeding its 2019 level by 5%. The data was released during the Arkansas Hospitality Association’s annual convention in Little Rock.
