LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The state is starting to travel more, which hopefully will be a good sign for the Arkansas hotel industry.

The Arkansas Department of Tourism uses data from the state welcome centers as an indicator of travel, and over 82,000 visited the state welcome centers in March this year.

There were 45,981 visits to the state in March last year, and that was around the time Governor Hutchinson began to impose restrictions.

While people are on the move, it doesn’t go back to where it was before Covid.

“We still have a long way to go, but they’re on ‘go’. I mean, every venue, facility, restaurant, airport, and airline is ready, ”said Randy Zook, CEO of the Arkansas Chamber of Commerce.

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The Arkansas hotel industry has felt the brunt of many of the governor’s restrictions. Limiting the number of people in restaurants, limiting the number of overnight stays in hotels, and closing state parks all had an impact.

Many officials say people are still not anywhere near 2019 levels for business.

Jim Keet, who owns Petit and Keet, says he’s heard good things from a lot of his clients lately.

Keet said the lifting of the mask mandates put restaurants in a delicate position.

Many restaurants still require staff to wear them, but customers have been given more freedom and he believes they will continue to do so.

“I think this will continue to accelerate as more people are vaccinated and people are more comfortable with being with other people,” said Keet.

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Arkansas hotels haven’t been coming back anytime soon. According to Zook, the convention venues in Little Rock, Fayetteville, Jonesboro, and Hot Springs have not been able to recover as quickly as many of these events are scheduled well in advance.

“Because these events are scheduled sometime in advance, they will take a while to open again,” said Zook.

Keet anticipates the state’s vacation areas will see a steady surge in activity this summer as flying still hesitates.

He believes the staycation will play a bigger role in Arkansas and the surrounding areas. “They’re more inclined to go to local destinations where they can go.”

Officials are hoping for a much more active summer this season and hope that the state’s second largest industry comes back entirely.