At a glance
Little Rock tourism is not a background industry. It is a major local economic engine, with the most recent annual report showing $2.19 billion in visitor spending in 2025 (LRCVB 2025 Annual Report).
Key figures
- $2.19 billion in visitor spending in 2025 (LRCVB 2025 Annual Report)
- 12,213 direct jobs supported in 2025 (LRCVB 2025 Annual Report)
- $139+ million in state and local tax revenue in 2025 (LRCVB 2025 Annual Report)
- $19.22 million in Advertising & Promotion tax collections in 2025 (LRCVB 2025 Annual Report)
- 2.8 million+ page views on LittleRock.com in 2025 (LRCVB 2025 Annual Report)
Table of contents
- Tourism scale in Little Rock
- The 2025 performance picture
- How the recent years compare
- Meetings, events, and bookings
- Digital reach and media visibility
- What the city’s visitor assets show
- Why the numbers matter locally
Tourism scale in Little Rock
Little Rock tourism should be read as a broad economic system rather than a single attraction category. The latest annual report shows spending, jobs, taxes, meetings, facilities, and digital reach moving together in one year-long picture (LRCVB 2025 Annual Report).
The core takeaway is simple. Visitor activity in Little Rock is large enough to move payrolls, public revenue, and event demand at the same time (LRCVB 2025 Annual Report).
Little Rock tourism generated $2.19 billion in visitor spending in 2025 (LRCVB 2025 Annual Report).
That one figure becomes more meaningful when paired with the rest of the report. The same year, tourism supported 12,213 direct jobs and produced more than $139 million in state and local tax revenue (LRCVB 2025 Annual Report).
The 2025 performance picture
The 2025 annual report gives the clearest snapshot of current momentum. It shows not just demand, but also the operational work behind that demand: meetings booked, events serviced, facilities filled, and public-facing marketing activity measured in traffic and media output (LRCVB 2025 Annual Report).
Economic impact
The biggest 2025 tourism statistics cluster around direct economic output. That cluster includes $2.19 billion in visitor spending, 12,213 direct jobs, and $139+ million in state and local tax revenue (LRCVB 2025 Annual Report).
Those numbers matter because they describe three different layers of impact. Spending reflects what visitors buy. Jobs reflect what the sector supports. Tax revenue reflects how visitor activity flows back into public budgets (LRCVB 2025 Annual Report).
Marketing and tax support
Little Rock also collected $19.22 million in Advertising & Promotion tax collections in 2025 (LRCVB 2025 Annual Report). That matters because the city’s tourism work is funded by a 2% prepared-food and beverage tax plus a 4% lodging tax (LRCVB Tourism Impact).
The mechanism is straightforward. Visitors help finance the system that attracts more visitors. That creates a feedback loop between hotel stays, dining, event activity, and destination promotion (LRCVB Tourism Impact).
Event activity
The 2025 report also shows strong convention and event activity. The LRCVB serviced 212 meetings, conventions, and sporting events, and those events drew 194,881 attendees (LRCVB 2025 Annual Report). Those same events generated $94.3 million in direct spending and helped secure 229 future meetings and events worth an estimated $112.9 million in future impact (LRCVB 2025 Annual Report).
How the recent years compare
The most useful way to read Little Rock tourism statistics is as a trend line. A few years of annual reports show that the city moved from pandemic-era recovery into a stronger, more diversified tourism base.
| Year | Visitor spending / impact | Taxes | Jobs | Meetings and events | Digital reach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $17.3 million in estimated direct spending impact from 114 future meetings | $14.8 million A&P tax collections | Not listed | 114 future meetings | 10,500+ social media fan and follower growth |
| 2022 | $48 million in direct spending impact from 169 future meetings | $16.95 million A&P tax collections | Not listed | 429 events hosted by LRCVB-managed facilities | 1.7 million page views on LittleRock.com |
| 2023 | $48 million in estimated direct spending impact from 227 future meetings | $18.37 million A&P tax collections | Not listed | 450 events hosted by LRCVB-managed facilities | 1.64 million page views on LittleRock.com |
| 2024 | $50.8+ million in direct spending impact from 213 future bookings | $18.78 million A&P tax collections | 8,565 direct tourism industry jobs | 362 events hosted by LRCVB-managed facilities | 1.36 million page views on LittleRock.com |
| 2025 | $112.9 million in estimated future impact from 229 future events | $19.22 million A&P tax collections | 12,213 direct jobs | 212 serviced meetings, conventions, and sporting events | 2.8 million+ page views on LittleRock.com |
A few patterns stand out from that comparison. First, A&P tax collections rose from $14.8 million in 2021 to $19.22 million in 2025 (LRCVB 2021 Annual Report; LRCVB 2025 Annual Report). Second, tourism-supported employment increased from 8,565 direct jobs in 2024 to 12,213 direct jobs in 2025 (LRCVB 2024 Annual Report; LRCVB 2025 Annual Report). Third, the destination’s future pipeline strengthened, with 229 future events in 2025 compared with 213 future bookings in 2024 (LRCVB 2024 Annual Report; LRCVB 2025 Annual Report).
What changed from 2024 to 2025
The jump from 2024 to 2025 is especially useful for readers trying to understand direction rather than raw volume. Little Rock’s visitor spending moved from $1.5 billion in 2024 to $2.19 billion in 2025 (LRCVB 2024 Annual Report; LRCVB 2025 Annual Report). That is a large increase in one reporting cycle.
At the same time, the report says local and state tax revenue grew from $96.5 million in 2024 to $139+ million in 2025 (LRCVB 2024 Annual Report; LRCVB 2025 Annual Report). That suggests the tourism base broadened in ways that reached beyond a single channel of demand.
The jobs number also moved sharply higher. Little Rock supported 8,565 direct tourism industry jobs in 2024 and 12,213 direct jobs in 2025 (LRCVB 2024 Annual Report; LRCVB 2025 Annual Report).
Meetings, events, and bookings
For many destinations, meetings and events are the bridge between leisure tourism and business travel. Little Rock’s annual report makes that bridge easy to see.
In 2025, the LRCVB serviced 212 meetings, conventions, and sporting events, and those events brought in 194,881 attendees (LRCVB 2025 Annual Report). Those events also produced $94.3 million in direct spending (LRCVB 2025 Annual Report).
Why meetings matter
Meetings and events are important because they create concentrated demand. A single convention can drive hotel room nights, restaurant traffic, transportation use, and venue activity all at once. The report also shows future demand already in the pipeline: 229 future meetings and events with $112.9 million in estimated future impact (LRCVB 2025 Annual Report).
That future value is useful for planning. It suggests that the destination is not relying only on immediate bookings but is also building a longer runway of economic activity (LRCVB 2025 Annual Report).
Facilities as economic infrastructure
The annual report says LRCVB-managed facilities hosted 300+ events in 2025 and drew 480,089 total attendees (LRCVB 2025 Annual Report). In 2024, those facilities hosted 362 events (LRCVB 2024 Annual Report). In 2023, they hosted 450 events (LRCVB 2023 Annual Report). In 2022, they hosted 429 events (LRCVB 2022 Annual Report).
That sequence shows a system that is active year after year, even when event counts fluctuate. The important point is not just the count itself. It is the scale of recurring use across venues, conventions, and related tourism infrastructure (LRCVB 2022 Annual Report; LRCVB 2023 Annual Report; LRCVB 2024 Annual Report; LRCVB 2025 Annual Report).
Digital reach and media visibility
Tourism statistics are not only about physical visitors. They also include how often people discover the destination before they travel.
In 2025, LittleRock.com surpassed 2.8 million page views (LRCVB 2025 Annual Report). That is a large reach signal for a city tourism site. The same report says public relations generated 127 stories and the bureau added 23,596 new social media fans and followers (LRCVB 2025 Annual Report).
What digital metrics suggest
Digital reach helps explain how the destination pipeline is fed. A person who lands on a destination site is not a guaranteed visitor. Still, site traffic, media stories, and social growth together show that the city’s tourism message is reaching a broad audience (LRCVB 2025 Annual Report).
The prior years show similar activity, though at lower scale. LittleRock.com recorded 1.36 million page views in 2024, 1.64 million in 2023, and 1.7 million in 2022 (LRCVB 2024 Annual Report; LRCVB 2023 Annual Report; LRCVB 2022 Annual Report). In 2024, social media follower growth reached 11,038, while in 2023 it exceeded 16,500 and in 2022 it exceeded 8,500 (LRCVB 2024 Annual Report; LRCVB 2023 Annual Report; LRCVB 2022 Annual Report).
What the city’s visitor assets show
The numbers become easier to understand when you look at the places behind them. Little Rock’s tourism system includes riverfront space, civic venues, civil rights heritage, museums, hotels, and city parks.
Outdoor and urban assets
Little Rock has more than 60 city parks (LRCVB Parks page). Riverfront Park stretches 11 blocks and includes 30+ acres (LRCVB Parks page). The Arkansas River Trail is a 15+ mile loop (LRCVB Parks page). Pinnacle Mountain State Park’s east side reaches an 800+ foot summit (LRCVB Parks page).
These are important because outdoor assets widen the visitor mix. They support day trips, family visits, active travel, and repeat stays. That broadens tourism beyond conference calendars and into routine recreation (LRCVB Parks page).
Civic and heritage assets
The Little Rock Civil Rights Trail is a nine-mile route and includes six stops on the official U.S. Civil Rights Trail (LRCVB Civil Rights Trail). Nearby points of interest include the Clinton Presidential Center, Historic Arkansas Museum, Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, and Daisy Bates House Museum (LRCVB Civil Rights Trail). The U.S. Civil Rights Trail connects more than 100 sites across 14 states (LRCVB U.S. Civil Rights Trail).
The Central High site and visitor center opened in September 2007, marking the 50th anniversary of desegregation when it opened (LRCVB U.S. Civil Rights Trail). The Clinton Presidential Center campus covers 30 acres (LRCVB U.S. Civil Rights Trail).
These numbers matter because they show that Little Rock tourism is built around more than leisure alone. It is also built around history, civic identity, and educational travel (LRCVB Civil Rights Trail; LRCVB U.S. Civil Rights Trail).
Convention and hotel capacity
Meeting infrastructure gives the city a second tourism engine. The Statehouse Convention Center offers approximately 220,000 square feet of public, meeting, and exhibit space and has seven versatile meeting rooms plus three registration rooms and a small conference room (LRCVB Statehouse Convention Center FAQ; LRCVB Statehouse Convention Center Meeting Rooms). The Little Rock Marriott has 418 guest rooms, 21 meeting rooms, and 44,747 total square feet of meeting space, with a largest meeting room of 10,657 square feet (LRCVB Little Rock Marriott).
Other properties also add capacity. The Capital Hotel has 94 guest rooms and 5,862 total square feet of meeting space (LRCVB Capital Hotel). The AC Hotel Little Rock Downtown has 114 guest rooms. The Residence Inn Little Rock Downtown has 107 guest rooms. The Wingate by Wyndham Little Rock has 93 guest rooms. The Delta Hotels Little Rock West has 244 guest rooms and 7,200 square feet of meeting space. The Aloft Little Rock West has 127 guest rooms and 3,247 square feet of meeting space. The Staybridge Suites Little Rock - Medical Center has 117 suites and 900 square feet of meeting space (LRCVB AC Hotel Little Rock Downtown; LRCVB Residence Inn Little Rock Downtown; LRCVB Wingate by Wyndham Little Rock; LRCVB Delta Hotels Little Rock West; LRCVB Aloft Little Rock West; LRCVB Staybridge Suites Little Rock - Medical Center).
A compact comparison helps here.
| Property | Rooms or suites | Meeting space |
|---|---|---|
| Little Rock Marriott | 418 guest rooms | 44,747 sq ft |
| Delta Hotels Little Rock West | 244 guest rooms | 7,200 sq ft |
| Capital Hotel | 94 guest rooms | 5,862 sq ft |
| Aloft Little Rock West | 127 guest rooms | 3,247 sq ft |
| Staybridge Suites Little Rock - Medical Center | 117 suites | 900 sq ft |
| AC Hotel Little Rock Downtown | 114 guest rooms | 355 sq ft |
| Residence Inn Little Rock Downtown | 107 guest rooms | 702 sq ft |
| Wingate by Wyndham Little Rock | 93 guest rooms | 650 sq ft |
Why the numbers matter locally
The strongest thing about the Little Rock tourism statistics is that they do not point in only one direction. They point to spending, jobs, tax collections, event bookings, digital discovery, and site-based demand all at once (LRCVB 2025 Annual Report).
That matters for residents because tourism revenue is tied to public and private activity. It helps support hotels, venues, restaurants, transportation, and event staffing. It also helps explain why city marketing and destination development are treated as economic work rather than just promotion (LRCVB Tourism Impact; LRCVB 2025 Annual Report).
The 2025 report shows a destination with measurable reach and a visible pipeline. The 2024, 2023, 2022, and 2021 reports show that this was not an isolated year. It was part of a multi-year build in which visitor spending, tax collections, and future bookings all moved upward over time (LRCVB 2021 Annual Report; LRCVB 2022 Annual Report; LRCVB 2023 Annual Report; LRCVB 2024 Annual Report; LRCVB 2025 Annual Report).