Arkansas's second-largest industry continues to grow and become even stronger. That according to state leaders meeting at the annual Governor's Conference on Tourism.
The state's tourism revenue grew 7.7% last year.
According to the state Department of Parks and Tourism, 28 million visitors spent around $7.2 billion, and the Department says it predicts even better numbers for this year.
Our content partner Talk Bushiness and Politics was at the conference in Springdale and spoke with the governor, who emphasized that tourism and economic development go hand-in-hand.
"People want to locate companies and new plants to where there is a quality of life and there is life beyond the work space. The state parks, the tourism, our natural areas, and our biking trails add to our ability to recruit and retain top quality talent in this state," said Governor Asa Hutchinson.
Overall, there's been a 23% growth in visitors to the state since 2010.
