Little Rock highlights positive economic impact of tourism in recent years
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Little Rock officials say visitors have left a positive impact on businesses in the capital city.
There are a thousand places tourists choose for vacation and travel, but Little Rock became a destination for many last year thanks to the city's 2023 Downtown Master Plan according to Libby Doss Lloyd with the Little Rock Convention and Business Bureau.
'To have $1.5 billion in a year in visitors spending and have that A&P tax collection up to $19 million, we definitely have been coming out of that pandemic over the last five years,' Lloyd said.
Master plan for downtown Little Rock approved by city board of directors, needs funding
Lloyd said the Statehouse Convention Center, the Robinson Center and the River Market all host some of the biggest events in the city, allocating over $50 million in direct spending.
'2024 was the second year of the implementation of that 10-year plan so we're really working hard to elevate tourism in the capital city,' Lloyd said.
Some visitors chose not to leave the workforce getting in on this uptick with over 8,000 direct jobs.
Desirae Jones, a manager at Gus's Fried Chicken, said she's run across many visitors from different states.
'Even though we're not a big city, we don't really have much going on, just for them to come and experience being down here and seeing what our city and our state is like, I feel like that's pretty awesome,' Jones said.
Little Rock Master Plan focuses on bringing more housing to downtown
She said she's seen growth in the city, and says she likes how there's always something for visitors to do.
'Hang out downtown, go to Brewski's or La Chingada across the street, or maybe even us for good chicken or a good time,' Jones added.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Greene County growing diversity with Multicultural Family Resource Center
JEFFERSON, Iowa – For the past decade, there's been an ongoing effort to bring more diversity to Greene County to fill jobs and grow the population in rural Iowa. 'Greene County has shrunk in population for 100 years, like most every rural county has,' Sid Jones, former president of the Greene County Development Corporation, said. 'Can we really reverse that? Can we do something different? And what initiative is that going to take? How much courage is that going to take? A lot.' Greene County's population includes about 8,700 people. Jefferson, the county seat, makes up almost half of that. It's also home to a new center and advocate who's on a mission to grow the number with minorities. Sara Huddleston is the director of the Multicultural Family Resource Center. 'I'm focused on bringing people in our community,' Huddleston said. 'And I see with that challenges, but I like challenges.' More: Live on Location in Jefferson She's been in the role for one year and is in charge of welcoming people to work and live in Greene County. An effort that's been years in the making, according to Jones. 'Around 2015, as a development corporation, we realized we'd done a pretty good job with creating jobs, creating tax base and industry,' Jones reflected. 'What we found out was we had more jobs than we had people.' Jones said GCDC put together a group called Vision 2020. People 40 years of age and younger participated. 'And they wanted a say. They wanted to decide what this community would look like,' Jones said. 'And what our question to them was, 'what's it going to take to have more of you here?'' Community members answered with five initiatives to focus on: schools, childcare, housing, recreation, and a high-end bar and restaurant. In addition to working on those, leaders decided the solution to filling jobs and increasing population was to bring in more diversity. 'If they think back far enough, our ancestors came from all over the world to rural Iowa and to Greene County and we've done this before,' Jones said. 'We did it before. It's just a different culture. It's a different set of cultures. We're in a different world that moves so much faster, but at the same time, it took a lot of courage for those people to come here and to start a life and to have the opportunities and to grow their businesses and grow their farms and all the things that have happened. We're back in that same spot again. And we need people, and we need young families.' It's why they created the Multicultural Family Resource Center, with the financial help from a USDA grant and local investors. Woodworking meets Broadway in small town Iowa 'We were primarily at that point focusing really on that Latino culture, but we've since realized it's multicultural,' Jones said. 'It's not just the Latino culture. There's Asians, there's South Africans, there's a variety of people that want to live someplace different than where they live today and want a different opportunity in life.' Huddleston came from the culturally rich community of Storm Lake and has experience in social services. She stays busy in her new role. 'I get calls from the police – Jefferson Police, from the sheriff. I go to the hospital for taking people to medical appointments, interpret,' Huddleston said. 'I still got to do a lot of outreach and connection with manufacturing. I have plans to outreach with Iowa Central Community College and the career academy we have in town. So yes, I don't sit down.' Huddleston also works closely with the school system to help students adapt. Recent numbers from the local Area Education Agency show that of the 1,240 enrolled students at Greene County Community School District, 177 of them are non-Caucasian, meaning 14 percent minority enrollment. 'The numbers tell you,' Jones said. 'And the greatest opportunity is to bring those populations here to try to fill this workforce, grow our population again, fill those schools with students. They need housing, they need a lot of things. But opportunity is challenging and it's growth.' Growth in the student body reflects what's happening in Greene County. Progress that takes time. 'The one most important ingredient to be successful in our community is to build the trust,' Huddleston said. 'If you don't have the trust, nothing will move the needle but once you have the trust and the relationships and the network, everything can happen.' Jones also adds in communication. 'I think Greene County has been unique in our ability to collaborate and bring our city and our county and our investors together. And that's hard work,' Jones said. 'But I think when you have that trust and you have communication and you have investment, collaboration is the result. And I think if you continue to do that there will be success. It will happen you just have to have patience and persistence, and those things come together.' The Greene County Development Corporation is looking ahead to the future with new leadership. The executive committee voted unanimously to name Michelle Book as its interim director. Book stepped down as Food Bank of Iowa CEO at the end of 2024. She is a 1979 graduate of Jefferson High School, as well as this year's WHO 13 News Remarkable Woman winner. If you'd like to learn more about the Multicultural Family Resource Center, click here. Iowa HHS confirms third case of measles in 2025 Greene County growing diversity with Multicultural Family Resource Center Another grooming arrest for Indianola man who had EMT license suspended Hot today with slight storm chances ahead Iowa Senator Zach Wahls running for Joni Ernst's U.S. Senate seat Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Paul Tudor Jones Says Bitcoin Should Be in Every Portfolio as U.S. Debt Mounts
Billionaire investor Paul Tudor Jones says bitcoin isn't just a speculative asset — it's a necessity in the current economic environment. In a Bloomberg TV interview, Jones argued that the U.S. is stuck in a 'debt trap' and that policymakers will likely keep real interest rates below inflation to reduce the burden. President Trump, Jones said, is will likely appoint an "uber-dovish" Fed chair to replace Jerome Powell, whose term atop the U.S. central bank ends next year. That means higher prices, lower purchasing power and greater risk for traditional portfolios, Jones continued. To hedge against that scenario, Tudor Jones believes every portfolio should consist of bitcoin BTC, gold, and stocks. 'It would be some combination of vol-adjusted bitcoin, gold, and stocks,' Jones said, noting that bitcoin's price swings are much steeper than those of gold, so position sizes should vary. Still, he was clear: 'That's probably your best portfolio to fight inflation." Jones, who runs the $16 billion macro hedge fund Tudor Investment Corp., has long been vocal about using bitcoin as an inflation hedge. While he previously suggested allocating 1–2%, this time he declined to give a number — though he reiterated his strong conviction. His remarks came after fresh Consumer Price Index data Wednesday morning showed inflation rising 2.4% over the past year — slightly below forecasts. Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For more information, see CoinDesk's full AI Policy. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Paul Tudor Jones Says Bessent Is Likely Trump Pick for Fed Chair
(Bloomberg) -- Paul Tudor Jones said President Donald Trump is likely to appoint an 'uber dovish' Federal Reserve chair to accommodate his growth agenda, contending that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent would likely be his pick when Jerome Powell's term ends next year. Trump's Military Parade Has Washington Bracing for Tanks and Weaponry NY Long Island Rail Service Resumes After Grand Central Fire NYC Mayoral Candidates All Agree on Building More Housing. But Where? Senator Calls for Closing Troubled ICE Detention Facility in New Mexico NJ's Sherrill, Ciattarelli Win Primaries in Governor's Race Jones, 70, said in an interview with Bloomberg Television Wednesday that two people being floated for the appointment — Bessent and Kevin Warsh, a former member of the Fed Board of Governors — are 'fabulous names.' But Trump's focus on growth and loyalty make Bessent a stand-out candidate, Jones said. Jones, who founded the $16 billion macro hedge fund Tudor Investment Corp., also said Trump's signature tax bill poses a threat to stock and bond markets down the line. Jones predicts it will spur rate cuts over the next 12 months. 'The Big, Beautiful Bill is really interesting — the name of it is a genius in branding,' Jones said. 'What is the counterfactual to the Big, Beautiful Bill? If you had to balance the budget, it would probably be the Big Beastly Bill.' If he were in Trump's shoes, Jones said, 'the first thing I would do is I would appoint the most dovish central banker I could find to deliver interest-rate cuts.' Then, he would push through an austerity package with a tax hike on top earners and broad-based cuts to programs including Social Security, Medicaid and defense spending, Jones said. He would also press to reduce rates to 2.5%, contending there 'will be a point when the markets demand it.' 'At some point, the bond market will call B.S. on governments around the world playing chicken with them,' he said. (Updates with additional context throughout.) New Grads Join Worst Entry-Level Job Market in Years The Spying Scandal Rocking the World of HR Software American Mid: Hampton Inn's Good-Enough Formula for World Domination Cavs Owner Dan Gilbert Wants to Donate His Billions—and Walk Again The SEC Pinned Its Hack on a Few Hapless Day Traders. The Full Story Is Far More Troubling ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
