Outdoor Recreation Drives Tourism in Arkansas

(Photos provided by Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism)

Arkansas is becoming more and more known as a place to visit, this year being named one of the best places to go in North America by Condé Nast Traveler. According to the Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, the state has more than 50 million visitors each year for an economic impact of $10 billion in direct spending.

What is the secret to the Natural State’s success as a tourism destination? Dalaney Thomas, director of Arkansas Tourism, said it is in the name.

Dalaney Thomas

“Outdoor recreation is something that is abundant across the entire state. It is the one thing every corner of Arkansas shares,” she said. “We really live up to that name of the Natural State.”

Some outdoor destinations have been drawing tourists for decades, namely Hot Springs National Park, the oldest federally protected land in the national parks system, and the Buffalo National River, America’s first national river.

Floating the Buffalo National River

Another time-tested tourism draw is Petit Jean State Park, the state’s flagship state park, which is more than 100 years old. Thomas said there has been increased investment at the park in recent years, including renovations at the Mather Lodge and the construction of a new via ferrata climbing route that will make accessible parts of the park that were previously untouched.

Delta Heritage Trail

More recent is Arkansas’ growing acclaim as a mountain biking destination. In Bella Vista, the state’s first lift-served mountain bike park, OZ Trails Bike Park, recently opened, while a second lift-served bike park is slated to open further south in Mena.

OZ Trails chairlift

Meanwhile, on the eastern edge of the state, the Delta Heritage Trail State Park, a rails-to-trails initiative that has been in the works since the 1990s, is set to be complete by the end of the year, Thomas said, adding that the Arkansas Graveler cycling event will journey through parts of the park in October.

Arkansas Graveler cycling event

“It connects these really rich cultural experiences across the Delta area together,” Thomas said of the park. “There are going to be areas in this trail system that have been more difficult to reach. We’ll have bridge experiences that allow travelers to travel across the White River, the Arkansas River. It’s just been a long time in the making, so we’re excited to see that project come to fruition in the Arkansas Delta later this year.”

While there are plenty of cultural experiences that help set Arkansas apart, from music and Southern cuisine to state-of-the-art museums, Thomas said people continue to be drawn to outdoor experiences as an escape from a fast-paced, tech-driven world.

“You’ll hear the term ‘touch grass,’ right?” she said. “There’s this whole movement and this trend of people disconnecting and getting outside. We know it’s good for us. It’s good for our kids. It’s good for our family to spend time in the great outdoors, and people are certainly prioritizing wellness and wellness tourism.”

It is not just about visitors either. Plenty of people want to live in a place where they can pursue their outdoor hobbies 24/7, as shown by the droves of people moving to northwest Arkansas and other parts of the state. That is where tourism plays a vital role in economic development, Thomas said, since showing off the Natural State’s charm is one way of attracting talent.

“There’s a famous saying out there that says that people want to live in places that they want to visit, and once they live in a place that they visited, they have to work there,” she said. “There’s this whole cycle that connects back to each other.”

What follows is a closer look at how a few Arkansas cities are handling tourism in their communities.

Hot Springs

As mentioned, Hot Springs National Park is one of the state’s top tourist draws, and with the park being right downtown, it is easy for visitors to experience everything else Hot Springs has to offer, as well.

Devin Heath, president and CEO of Visit Hot Springs, agreed with Thomas that outdoor experiences are highly sought after among travelers right now and said Hot Springs should be at the top of the list for potential visitors seeking time in nature. However, he also praised the diverse array of experiences available in Hot Springs.

Devin Heath (Photos provided by Visit Hot Springs)

In addition to outdoor attractions such as the Northwoods Trails for mountain bikers, he named Oaklawn Hot Springs and the city’s legacy as the birthplace of spring training baseball as two notable tourism drivers, not to mention events such as the World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Stueart Pennington’s World Championship Running of the Tubs.

Oaklawn racing

Tourism, along with residents and investment, is a key component of economic development, he said. With that in mind, his goal is to share with new audiences the story of Hot Springs’ history and the unique experiences that can be enjoyed there.

Bathhouse Row

“How do we tell that more broadly to the world — not just to other Arkansans or other people in the region, but how do we tell that to the world?” he said. “How do we tell that narrative to people in Europe and to people in northeast America and then Canada and then Mexico and then other destinations that we want to have come visit, and then how do we balance those experiences so that they can be enjoyed by our residents equally as they are enjoyed by visitors?”

World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Having just recently assumed his post at Visit Hot Springs, Heath said his priority right now is getting to know the community and soliciting their input for a strategic plan that will guide the city’s trajectory going forward.

“The people here are incredible. You can really see the passion that everybody has for this community and the belief that they have in it, and that’s a wonderful foundation for us because it’s all about our people,” he said. “No matter who’s in my seat, no matter who’s in a lot of roles in this city, if you don’t have a community that believes in tourism, believes in our community, believes in us as an exciting place to be, we won’t amount to anything.”

North Little Rock

Things are buzzing in North Little Rock, where, on any given night, people of all kinds can be seen enjoying galleries, shops, restaurants and nightlife in the Argenta Arts District downtown. With the new event center now up and running and the new atg Pavilion honoring Arkansas culture being built at Argenta Plaza, development has snowballed in recent years.

Argenta Arts District

“There’s still plenty of construction in response to that growth and, I think, the resident and visitor response, that they enjoy being in our downtown, enjoy being in our city,” said Everett Gaither, vice president of marketing and communications at North Little Rock Tourism. “They see it as a place where things are happening, and so that led to restaurants, businesses, even apartments and other housing being built.”

Everett Gaither

Some of the most exciting changes are taking place in the Arena District near Simmons Bank Arena, where the Tempo by Hilton and Aloft hotels are being constructed, along with the new building for Willy D’s Dueling Pianos, a downtown Little Rock staple set to move across the river.

Arkansas Travelers baseball (Photos provided by NLR Tourism)

Downtown is not the only part of the city relevant to tourism, however. Everett said plenty of visitors come for sports tournaments at Burns Park, and Crystal Bluff Climbing Area recently opened, bringing a unique urban climbing experience to Big Rock Quarry just a short drive from downtown.

Live music in the Four Quarter Bar

“I think the beauty of Arkansas is it is kind of a hidden gem,” Everett said. “You don’t really know what to expect until you’ve been there. You say, ‘Oh, OK, there are all of these really cool things, and there’s probably not a line to get in.’ I think that kind of gets overlooked, but I think that there are more people that are wanting it because it leads to a more authentic trip too. You know, they’re not just there for the photo op.”

Bentonville

As the home of Walmart’s corporate headquarters, Bentonville for years welcomed a tourist who came not with flip-flops but with a briefcase, said Kalene Griffith, president and CEO of Visit Bentonville. Within the last 10 or 15 years, however, people have started coming to the city not just for work but for play.

Kalene Griffith

“I think the investments in arts, the investments in trails, the investments in culinary, continued investment in the music industry, the investments in the film industry — all of those things have allowed us to elevate as a destination for the leisure traveler,” Griffith said.

Mountain biking

The trail systems that made Bentonville the Mountain Biking Capital of the World, arts encounters at the newly expanded Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, a growing restaurant scene, and concerts at The Momentary and the forthcoming Bentonville Ballroom all contribute to the rich experiences to be had in the city.

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art (Photos provided by Visit Bentonville)

With the presence of the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine and the Heartland Whole Health Institute plus more health institutions to come, Griffith said she expects Bentonville to become not just a medical destination but a wellness destination.

“I think you’re going to see the opportunity as a wellness destination with arts, cycling and the food scene,” she said. “All of those can be tied into wellness if you want to make that part of it, and so you have this physical, emotional and mental aspect of it that I think is going to elevate our opportunity as a wellness destination.”

Furthermore, she said, being connected to the rest of the region means a visitor can come to northwest Arkansas for a multiday trip and not run out of things to do. Its status as the Natural State gives Arkansas as a whole an advantage when it comes to growing its tourism industry, she added.

“People are not looking to go somewhere and sit,” she said. “They’re looking to go somewhere and get outdoors and have a unique experience in this area. That is one of the benefits we have as Arkansas is we can create an experience for almost anybody that’s looking for one, especially from the outdoors, in the Natural State.”

Little Rock

Even as other cities help put Arkansas on the map in terms of tourism, Little Rock is not to be discounted. The state’s capital city is home to the William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum, the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, and Robinson Center, not to mention the many other attractions that lend the city its charm.

AMFA

“There’s just so many things, you know, the trails and the outdoor scene, our history, our arts and culture here in Little Rock,” said Gina Gemberling, president and CEO of the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau. “You see sculptures and murals and things all over, sprinkled all throughout our community, which is pretty special.”

Gina Gemberling

One of the most exciting projects underway is the renovation of the Ottenheimer Market Hall, which anchors the River Market.

“I really feel the hall was such an important part of the River Market and the whole downtown 30 years ago when it opened that it helped renovate and rejuvenate that whole area,” she said. “I think that’s going to put a fresh face on our downtown riverfront area.”

The LRCVB is planning to open a new visitor experience center in the River Market in fall. In addition, the planned 30 Crossing Park, which recently received a $30 million investment from the Bezos Earth Fund, is also set to enhance the look and feel of downtown.

Museum of Discovery

Further west downtown, the newly renovated B. Finley Vinson Plaza outside the DoubleTree by Hilton has created an outdoor gathering space that helps enhance the area’s walkability and connectivity. Investments have been made to upgrade the Statehouse Convention Center, as well.

Big Dam Bridge
(Photos provided by LRCVB)

“Tourism is a competitive business both on the leisure side, as well as on the conventions and meetings side,” she said, adding that the competitiveness will only increase as communities across the country vie for tourism dollars. “We need to continue to invest in our current product and our assets we do have and look for new ways to be relevant to those leisure travelers, as well as to the convention planners that are looking at all different types of destinations to host their meetings and events.”