Arkansas’ 2% tourism tax revenue declined almost 3% in the first six months of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024. Hospitality tax revenue in surveyed cities is also down through June.
The 2% tourism tax revenue between January and June was $13.122 million, down 2.9% compared with the $13.513 million in the same period of 2024. The 2025 numbers are compared against a healthy 2024 in which the tourism tax was up 4.77% compared with 2023 collections.
Despite the 2% revenue being down through August, August 2025 set a monthly record for revenue at $2.857 million. The previous monthly record was set in June 2024 with $2.839 million.
January-June hospitality tax collections among 17 cities surveyed for the Arkansas Tourism Ticker were down 1.87% compared with the same period in 2024.
The Arkansas Tourism Ticker is managed by Talk Business & Politics, and sponsored by the Arkansas Hospitality Association[1] and the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism[2]. The ticker uses the following three measurements to review the health of the state’s tourism industry.
• Hospitality tax collections – prepared food tax and lodging tax – of 17 Arkansas cities (cities listed below along with collections for each city);
• Tourism sector employment numbers as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; and
• Collections of Arkansas’ 2% statewide tourism tax.
Results for the January-June 2025 Tourism Ticker report are:
• 1.87% decline
Hospitality tax revenue in January-June 2025 among 17 Arkansas cities reviewed for the Arkansas Tourism Ticker compared with the same period in 2024
• 2.9% decrease
Collections of Arkansas’ 2% statewide tourism tax in January-June 2025 compared with the same period in 2024
• 1.3% increase
Gain in the monthly average of Arkansas’ tourism industry jobs in January-June 2025 compared with the same period in 2024
Restaurant (prepared food tax) tax collections among the 17 cities totaled $26.647 million in January-June 2025, down 1.4% compared with the $27.035 million in the same period of 2024. Hotel tax collections among the 17 cities totaled $8.667 million in January-June 2025, down 3.2% compared with the $8.953 million in the same period of 2024.
Link here[3] for a PDF of the complete January-June 2025 Arkansas Tourism Ticker.
Related
References
- ^ Arkansas Hospitality Association (www.arhospitality.org)
- ^ Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism (adpht.arkansas.gov)
- ^ Link here (talkbusiness.net)