LITTLE ROCK CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU RELEASES 2023 TOURISM MASTER PLAN

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Jan. 25, 2023) — The Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau (LRCVB), along with hospitality-industry consultant Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), unveiled the 2023 Tourism Master Plan today which lays out strategic directions for the development of Arkansas’s capital city’s tourism landscape over the next 10 years. More than 200 local and state tourism industry partners and community leaders attended the launch held at the Statehouse Convention Center. This is the LRCVB’s first-ever citywide tourism master plan.

The plan is the culmination of a 12-month research and planning process led by the LRCVB, tourism industry partners, and community leaders, and facilitated by JLL. The plan’s comprehensive approach involved participation and collaboration with more than 500 industry partners and community leaders including:

- Nine focus groups held with more than 120 participants
- 228 stakeholder survey responses
- 15 industry and community leader advisory committee
- 60 individual meetings

The result is a solid strategy with both procedural and infrastructure recommendations focusing on nine key areas for tourism growth in Little Rock:

1. Destination Development
2. Tourism infrastructure investment
3. Reinvestment in public and open spaces downtown and along the riverfront
4. Evolve targeted marketing approach
5. Enhance the visitor experience
6. Optimize utilization of the Statehouse Convention Center & Robinson Center
7. Community engagement
8. Leverage positive destination perception
9. Invest resources to further in-progress equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts

A Vision into the Future

The LRCVB is well-positioned to continue forward with the recommendations detailed within the plan, but cooperation from key stakeholders, partners, and the community at large will be required to maximize the potential of the local tourism business.

“The Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau cannot tackle this plan alone,” said Gina Gemberling, President and CEO of the Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Only by working together can we unlock the true, transformative power of the tourism industry in our community.”

The recommendations of this Tourism Master Plan will be implemented in collaboration with the leadership of the LRCVB and partners throughout Little Rock.

Visit here for an electronic version of the LRCVB’s Tourism Master Plan and 2023 Business Plan.