In an interview with Talk Business & Politics, Katie Beck, CEO of the Arkansas Hospitality Association, provided an update on the state’s hospitality industry.

According to the Arkansas Tourism Ticker, collections of Arkansas’ 2% statewide tourism tax in January-June 2023 saw a nearly 9% increase compared with the same period in 2022. Beck said part of the reason for the increase is travel is rebounding.

“During the pandemic, it was one of the hardest hit. It went from 2019 record jobs numbers to 2020 an industry that was decimated. Coming back and surpassing those pre-pandemic jobs levels, it is huge for the industry,” she said.

Katie Beck, CEO of AHA, provides update on the tourism industry