1 Arkansas city makes top 10 in ranking of small U.S. destinations

The Sentinel-Record/Lorien E. Dahl AUTO JAWS: Members of the Riser Ford Lincoln"Jaws Returns" team are sprayed with water guns during the 12th Annual Stueart Pennington Running of the Tubs Saturday in downtown Hot Springs.
The Sentinel-Record/Lorien E. Dahl AUTO JAWS: Members of the Riser Ford Lincoln"Jaws Returns" team are sprayed with water guns during the 12th Annual Stueart Pennington Running of the Tubs Saturday in downtown Hot Springs.

An Arkansas city cracked the top 10 on a list of top small destinations in the country.

The U.S. Tourism Quality Index, which comes from the Vancouver-based company ResonanceCo, placed Hot Springs at No. 10 among 69 cities that attract between 3 million and 5 million visitors each year.

The rankings are based on economic performance, social media traffic, culture, entertainment, sightseeing, sports, activities, lodging and food, according to the company's report.

"For us to be in the top 10 is a good thing, and a tribute to our service personnel and owners and everybody involved in the tourism industry in Hot Springs," Hot Springs Advertising and Promotion Commission CEO Steve Arrison told the Hot Springs Sentinel-Record.

Hot Springs got its highest rankings in entertainment and sightseeing, according to the report, but scored the lowest of the top 10 small destinations in lodging.

Arrison told the Sentinel-Record that the city probably would have scored higher if all of its hotels were open and renovated. That includes the Arlington Hotel Resort and Spa, which local officials have given a timeline to fix structural problems that prompted a threat of closure, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette previously reported.

Tallahassee, Fla., topped the small destination rankings, followed by Lake Charles, La., and Bend, Ore.

Hot Springs ranked higher than any other Arkansas destination in its respective category, with Fort Smith No. 15 on the small destination list and Little Rock placing at No. 40 on the medium destination list.

"The main thing is, it's good for Arkansas," Arrison told the Sentinel-Record. "What's good for Arkansas is good for Hot Springs, and vice versa."

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