Motorcoach & group tourism and travel both to and within Arkansas is a powerful economic engine that infuses tourism dollars locally and statewide, creating economic growth, hospitality industry jobs, and new tax revenue, a new interactive online tool recently released by the American Bus Association Foundation (ABAF) reveals.

“This is the first time that the value of motorcoach travel and tourism’s impact on Arkansas has ever been quantified,” said Renee Robison, Group Travel Manager of the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism. “Buses bring tourists 55 at a time, and those group tours spending just one night in a region of Arkansas will leave as much as $11,660 in travel dollars spent on hotels, meals, admission tickets to museums and theatres, shopping and much more. That means more jobs and tax revenue for the state during challenging economic times.”

Motorcoach-based tourism generates as many as 1,056,750 jobs in communities across the United States, paying almost $40.6 billion in wages and benefits. The ABA Foundation developed the first-of-its-kind online tool to provide an easy way to access and show local and state officials, Congress and transportation planners how important motorcoach travel and tourism is to every state and all 435 Congressional districts. It’s available to anyone online at http://www.guerrillaeconomics.biz/abafoundation/.

“This study shows that in Arkansas alone, the motorcoach, tour and travel industry produces 11,900 well-paying jobs, almost $1 billion worth of economic activity, and $94 million in tax revenue,” Robison added. “Our state is a big bus state.”

The ABA Foundation interactive research tool includes a map allowing users to click on any state and from there, the ability to click specifically on any Congressional district. It also includes a data summary and key points - and it’s free. The groundbreaking online resource also includes a summary of the study methodology.