Sports events in North Little Rock had a $6.75 million economic impact, according to the North Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau’s recently released 2018 annual report.
“Last year, more than 31,600 athletes came to North Little Rock from all over the country because of our facilities and central location in the U.S., but also because North Little Rock is well-known for its hospitality and willingness to go the extra mile,” NLRCVB Sales Manager Erica Goss said in a news release.
President and CEO Bob Major agrees.
“North Little Rock is the perfect stop for not just sports teams, but also leisure visitors,” he said in the release. “We know from our research that people visiting North Little Rock love the dining and shopping, but also really appreciate the high level of customer service they experience while they’re here.”
More: See the full report.
The report states that all sports visitors dined out while in town, half of them went shopping and 22 percent visited a museum or attraction. Overall, each sports visitor spent an average of $456 per trip on lodging, food, attractions and transportation.
In addition, Burns Park, the largest city park (1,700 acres), was recognized as Public Park of the Year by Tennis Industry Magazine in its annual “Champions of Tennis” awards. It was also voted Best Park in Arkansas by the readers of Arkansas Times.
Other highlights from the report were:
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AirBnB began remitting A&P taxes on behalf of North Little Rock hosts.
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The Downtown Riverside RV Park has had a $15.87 million economic impact over 10 years.
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The reach of advertising, marketing and public relations is estimated at 217 million.
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The first Arkansas Italian Food & Culture Festival had 7,000 attendees.
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The city broke ground on Argenta Plaza, a planned public space on Main Street between Fifth and Sixth streets that will feature a free-standing water wall, fountains, an audiovisual screen wall and a “front porch” with porch swings.
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