Earlier this year, the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau (LRCVB) released a tourism master plan for the state's largest city. The plan noted that 21 percent of Arkansas' tourism spending took place in Little Rock in 2021.
"At $1.6 billion in 2021, the tourism economy is vital to Little Rock's overall economic health," the report stated. "As the official destination marketing organization, LRCVB is charged with shepherding the tourism industry by marketing and selling the city as a meetings, sports and leisure travel destination.
"It also operates the Statehouse Convention Center, Robinson Center, Cromwell Building, River Market (Ottenheimer Hall, First Security Amphitheater and the pavilions) and multiple parking facilities. LRCVB does this on behalf of the Little Rock Advertising and Promotion Commission, which the city board established in 1970 to ensure a long-term plan for economic development in the tourism sector."
As I often note, it's important to people in all 75 counties that Little Rock does well. The state can't achieve its potential unless its capital city does its part.
And as I pointed out in Saturday's column, this is about far more than tourism. The same kinds of quality-of-life amenities that attract tourists also attract young, talented residents. We must stop thinking of such initiatives as simply efforts to lure tourists. In the knowledge-based economy of the 21st century, economic development is about attracting and retaining well-educated workers. You do that through such amenities.
I have no doubt that Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. will have a sales-tax proposal during his second term. Proceeds from the tax will fund some of the recommendations in LRCVB's master plan. A proposed sales tax that Scott pushed in September 2021 went down in flames as 62 percent voted against it. But that proposal was rushed, and Scott hired the wrong people to run the campaign.
Scott, who was re-elected to another four-year term last November, has learned a lot since then. If crafted correctly--and if the details are then communicated effectively--I believe a different proposal can pass. A majority of Little Rock residents understand what it takes to compete for talent in the 2020s as their city seeks to be more like Nashville and Austin and less like Jackson and Shreveport.
H ere are key recommendations from the tourism master plan:
Make better use of the riverfront. According to the plan: "The area is home to many attractions, including the 33-acre Riverfront Park, with its unique mix of art installations, playgrounds and splashpads, pavilions and amphitheater. Outside the park's grounds, the area still offers diverse attractions and experiences, but a proactive effort to increase riverfront accessibility ... is needed.
"To be clear, riverfront access does not exclusively mean on-water activities. Many comparable destinations with rivers have additional amenities for passive recreation as well as food and beverage and retail outlets along their waterfronts."
Do something special with the 18 acres of greenspace adjacent to the River Market District that's being opened up by work on Interstate 30. Already, neighborhood stakeholders are meeting to discuss how best to use the land. The master plan calls it "an opportunity for iconic placemaking in the heart of the destination."
"The popularity of outdoor spaces grew immensely during the pandemic, a trend that is unlikely to fade in the future," the plan states. "Because of this, destinations with urban cores that have immediate outdoor and waterfront experiences will have a greater opportunity to capitalize."
Recruit a water-themed attraction with an onsite hotel such as Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City, Kan., or Grapevine, Texas. The plan notes that "nothing similar exists within a four-hour drive radius of Little Rock, and the surrounding area's population could easily support this development. A national brand would be another anchor attraction for families when considering Little Rock and would drive demand for the city's existing family-focused assets."
Expand the concert series at the 7,500-seat First Security Amphitheater in the River Market District while reinventing Ottenheimer Market Hall as an anchor culinary attraction that will attract visitors, downtown workers and area residents.
According to the plan: "Highlights of a reimagined market hall could include live music, additional programming, extended hours and days of operation, a destination dining experience and the ability for guests to purchase adult beverages. ... Research has already been conducted to potentially engage a food industry partner in the building's oversight and future development."
Create a facility that will attract youth sports tournaments from across the region. Such a facility in War Memorial Park is already high on the mayor's wish list. In 2015, LRCVB conducted a feasibility study that recommended construction of an indoor sports facility with eight to 10 basketball courts, 16 to 20 volleyball courts and spectator seating for 2,000 to 4,000 people. Such an indoor facility could be part of a larger complex that includes outdoor fields for baseball, softball and soccer.
The plan also mentions the formation of a sports commission to attract events. Little Rock is one of the largest cities of its size without such a commission. This commission could work on everything from youth tournaments to a major college bowl game at War Memorial Stadium.
Senior Editor Rex Nelson's column appears regularly in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. He's also the author of the Southern Fried blog at rexnelsonsouthernfried.com.