LITTLE ROCK CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU RELEASES 2024 ANNUAL REPORT
Publication features local tourism industry successes.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (March 6, 2025) – The Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau (LRCVB) has released its 2024 annual report, reflecting on the city’s performance as a leisure and convention destination and the continued value of tourism in Arkansas’ capital city.
The year began strong as the LRCVB entered the second year of its Tourism Master Plan implementation, an unprecedented 10-year roadmap for Little Rock’s tourism industry. The plan informs the bureau’s daily work and long-term decision-making.
“2024 was an incredible year for Little Rock tourism,” said LRCVB President and CEO Gina Gemberling. “We saw robust economic growth, and our Tourism Master Plan continued to guide our path toward our goals and accomplishments. We now move into 2025 equipped with better data, technology, and resources than ever before as we prepare for the future.”
The city experienced a record advertising & promotion tax collection in 2024 totaling $18.78 million; a continued increase since 2020. In addition, visitor spending in Little Rock was $1.5 billion*, local and state tax revenue generation was $96.5 million*, and direct industry jobs were 8,565*. (*Source: Economic Impact of Visitors in Little Rock 2023, Tourism Economics).
The LRCVB provided services for more than 200 meetings, conventions, and events throughout the city, and secured future business representing an estimated $50+ million in economic impact. More than 360 events were held at LRCVB-managed facilities, resulting in nearly 550,000 attendees. Capital improvements and upgrades within those spaces were successfully executed, ensuring the destination’s continued competitiveness in the marketplace.
2024 was marked by the Great American Eclipse in April, a once-in-a-generation event that saw Little Rock draw global attention as the moon’s shadow passed overhead. The LRCVB served as a clearinghouse of information related to the event for visitors and residents alike, and it hosted a free three-day celebratory event at the First Security Amphitheater.
The new LittleRock.com continued to grow, becoming a central tool in promoting Little Rock and engaging audiences on a national scale. The website demonstrated significant growth across all performance metrics. Through a combination of strategic marketing initiatives, impactful search engine optimization efforts, and high-quality content, the site attracted a larger and more engaged audience than ever before.
Little Rock’s first mobile marketing vehicle, “Pebbles,” was launched giving the bureau even more reach within the community and beyond. The custom-outfitted van includes audio-visual equipment and displays with available resources to provide visitor information and promote the capital city.
As the LRCVB looks ahead, research will play an even larger role in the LRCVB’s work in 2025 as it embarks on both a resident sentiment study and a visitor profile study, each designed to provide a deeper understanding of the city’s evolving tourism landscape. The studies will offer valuable insights into how residents perceive the impact of tourism, as well as provide detailed data on visitor demographics, behaviors, and preferences.
The full annual report can be downloaded here. The LRCVB’s Tourism Master Plan and 2025 Business Plan can be downloaded here.
2024 Key Highlights:
- 362 events held at LRCVB-managed facilities (Statehouse Convention Center, Robinson Center, River Market – Ottenheimer Hall, outdoor pavilions, First Security Amphitheater)
- Record attendance at Robinson Center for third consecutive year - 198,455
- Statehouse Convention Center total attendance – 250,692
- River Market total attendance – 98,834 (up 18,669 from 2023)
- LRCVB-managed facility capital improvements and technology upgrades
- $1.5 billion visitor spending
- 8,565 direct jobs generated
- $96.5 million in local and state tax revenue generation
- $18.78 million in Advertising & Promotion prepared foods and lodging tax collections
- 213 future meetings, conventions, and events secured with an estimated $50.8+ million in direct spending impact
- 11,038 fan and follower growth on social media
- 1.36 million website page views
The Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau (LRCVB) is the official destination marketing organization for the City of Little Rock, charged with promoting the city for convention and leisure travel. The LRCVB also operates the Statehouse Convention Center, Robinson Center, Cromwell Building, River Market (Ottenheimer Hall, First Security Amphitheater, outdoor pavilions), and multiple parking facilities and surface lots. The LRCVB is primarily funded by a lodging and prepared food tax. The organization is divided into four primary divisions: Finance & Administration, Sales & Services, Marketing & Communications, and Operations.
ABOUT THE LITTLE ROCK ADVERTISING & PROMOTION COMMISSION
The Little Rock Advertising & Promotion Commission (A&P) is the governing body for the Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau. It is a volunteer board consisting of seven members – two City of Little Rock elected officials, four business owners within the Little Rock hospitality industry, and one at-large position.