Tourism talk: Bentonville outdoor recreation summit focuses on turning the Natural State into a national brand
Outdoor recreation in Arkansas created more than 68,000 jobs and added more than $7 billion to the state’s economy in 2023, according to a report from Heartland Forward presented Monday during the second annual Arkansas Outdoor Economy Summit in Bentonville.
The three-day Arkansas Outdoor Economy Summit is held in conjunction with the Arkansas Governor’s Conference on Tourism. The dual conferences have become a veritable mecca of who’s who in Arkansas’s expanding tourism industry with attendees ranging from members of the Walton family and First Gentleman Bryan Sanders to the heads of state agencies, like the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism.
It’s no coincidence the events are held in Bentonville, headquarters of Walmart Inc. The Walton family, through various initiatives, has been pouring millions into developing outdoor infrastructure in Arkansas, much of it focused on making the state a leading destination for mountain biking, a favorite sport of Tom and Steuart Walton, grandsons of Sam Walton, Walmart’s founder.
Alice Walton, Sam Walton’s daughter, founded Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville in 2005. It opened in 2011.
According to Jonas “Cass” Crews, a research director at Heartland Forward, a think-tank co-founded by members of the Walton family, the economic impact reported was drawn from industries supporting activities as diverse as fly fishing, mountain biking, hiking, duck hunting and river paddling. Crews said that outdoor recreation contributed more to the Arkansas economy than historic industries like agriculture, forestry and mining.
The outdoor recreation economy has become a fixation of state leaders over the past several years, intensifying with Gov. Sarah Sanders’ launch of the “Natural State Initiative” in her first week in office in 2023. She appointed her husband, First Gentleman Bryan Sanders, as head of the Natural State Advisory Council along with other business and state leaders in tourism and outdoor recreation.
“It became very clear to me that this is an area that Arkansas is unique, especially in the heartland, because we just have wonderful access to outdoor recreation, whether it’s hiking, mountain biking, gravel cycling, duck hunting, fly fishing or paddling,” Bryan Sanders said Monday in Bentonville. “We are unique in the heartland, and so that’s been an area that I’ve decided to dive into and focus on. How can we market Arkansas even better as a world class outdoor recreation destination?”
The tourism industry is growing in Arkansas, with the most recent report from the Arkansas Department of Parks, Tourism and Heritage showing the sector increased by over 17% from 2022 to 2023 to become a $9 billion industry.
Now a couple of years into the effort, state leaders used this year’s conference to reflect on successes and present new initiatives for continued growth.
The summit kicked off with Bryan Sanders and Tom Walton, CEO of Runway Group, a holding company that invests in projects around the state. Both shared their vision of continuing to grow biking in Arkansas.
Tom Walton has worked to make Bentonville the “mountain biking capital of the world” over the last several years by developing trail systems, and now a bill is moving through the state Legislature that would clarify legal liability to allow bike parks to install lifts to tow riders up hill in a similar way to ski lifts in Colorado or Utah.
First Gentleman Bryan Sanders touted the efforts of the Walton family to make Arkansas a “cool place.” Tom Walton’s company, Runway Group, invests in outdoor recreation, and through the discussion with Bryan Sanders, Tom Walton said he sees three major areas for biking growth: building gravel bike trails, expanding electric bikes and creating more mountain bike parks.
Tom Walton’s spouse Olivia Walton, who is board chairperson for Crystal Bridges Museum of Art, spoke on a panel with Rod Bigelow, executive director of Crystal Bridges, about expanding public art. The two said public art could attract more visitors.
Crystal Bridges’s success stems from the idea of “radical access,” Olivia Walton said during a lunchtime keynote address Monday. Crystal Bridges is one of the top 10 art museums in the U.S. in terms of visitor numbers, Olivia Walton said. The museum and its grounds drew in nearly 785,000 people in 2023.
“We come at access through several different places, through affordability, a diverse range of programs we offer and through deliberately signaling that everyone in the community is welcome,” Olivia Walton said.
Examples of “radical access” include bilingual exhibitions and free entry to the permanent collection, she said.
Olivia Walton is also involved with OZ Art NWA, a community organization that installs world class public art along trails and throughout public places.
Bigelow said the goal is to bring more “cultural consumers” who can immerse in the art scene across Bentonville, much of which the Walton family has built or supported. Bigelow said a 100,000 square foot expansion of Crystal Bridges will increase public access. With expected completion in 2026, the renovation will include new gallery spaces, dining options and even a splash pad for children.
Other panel discussions Monday included the impact of artificial intelligence on travel and tourism and environmental protection for outdoor recreation. Tuesday’s schedule includes marketing Arkansas as a national brand for tourism and workforce development in the hospitality sector.
