ARLINGTON -- The city's booming tourism industry is a major reason Arlington collected a record amount of sales tax revenue in the past fiscal year, topping $50 million for the first time ever, Mayor Robert Cluck said Wednesday.
Promoting Arlington both nationally and internationally as a leisure, business and convention destination is vital to the city's economic health, Cluck said. And for 40 years, that's what the Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau, now known as Experience Arlington, has successfully done, he said."We need to bring as many people as we can. That is exactly what you are doing. We so appreciate it," Cluck said at Experience Arlington's annual meeting Wednesday. "We would not be where we are economically if it were not for them."Arlington has a $3.3 million contract with the nonprofit organization, which not only promotes venues in the entertainment district, including the Convention Center, the stadiums and theme parks, but also the city's shopping, dining, recreational and historical assets.One of Experience Arlington's priorities this fiscal year will be to build on the city's growing popularity as a destination for international travelers, said Jay Burress, president and CEO of Experience Arlington.Arlington has been in the international spotlight thanks partly to Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish. Japanese media published more than 50 news stories regarding Darvish and things to do in Arlington this past year, according to Experience Arlington."We're seeing Arlington included more and more in international tour programs. Yu Darvish and the Rangers are a big draw," Burress said.The Dallas Cowboys are attracting an increasing number of football fans from Mexico. And Arlington is also seeing more visitors from Australia, Burress said."The Australians are big sports fans. We are the place they want to come," said Burress, adding that Experience Arlington now offers sports tours on its website.New rides at Six Flags Over Texas and Hurricane Harbor, new community festivals, such as Art on the Greene and the Christkindl Market, and events at Cowboys Stadium, including the South Regional of NCAA men's basketball tournament, are expected to help Arlington draw even more visitors in 2013, officials said.Packed hotels, bustling restaurants and shops and new leisure and hospitality jobs are signs that the economy is improving both in Arlington and in the state, David Teel, president of the Texas Travel Industry Association said at the meeting.About $63 billion was spent on travel in Texas last year, a 10 percent increase from the year before. The travel industry statewide has also seen a 3 percent growth in new jobs, the first such increase since 2008, Teel said.Arlington hotels were setting new records this year too, Burress said.Groups brought in by Experience Arlington resulted in 49,341 hotel room nights booked this past fiscal year, up about 20 percent from fiscal year 2011 and up 44 percent over fiscal year 2010. About 44 percent of those rooms booked were for visitors attending sporting events.Arlington needs more hotel rooms to keep visitors in town, which would bring in more sales tax revenue, Cluck said. The city has once again earmarked $150,000 to study the feasibility of a new convention center hotel and convention center expansion but is waiting for private developers to come forward with proposals."When we have these big events, people come in and fill our hotels up but we don't have enough hotels to take care of them all," Cluck said. "The more hotels we have the more opportunities we have for people to stay here instead of going to Dallas or Fort Worth or Grapevine."Visitors spent about $593 million in Arlington in 2010, the latest figures available.Online: www.experiencearlington.orgSusan Schrock, 817-709-7578Twitter: @susanschrockHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
