2024 Eclipse Offers Historic Tourism Opportunity, Arkansas Cities Told

A complete photo voltaic eclipse will depart a lot of Arkansas in darkness on April 8, 2024, however it should be a sunny day for communities that make the most of the historic inflow of tourists that is anticipated.

That is what former Little Rock mayor and former state tourism director Jim Dailey informed the Rotary Membership of Morrilton final week, urging town to make broad preparations for hundreds of tourists, whether or not it is sprucing up downtown streets, increasing bike trails and lodging, or making a tourist-friendly overlay district. The eclipse could also be two years away, he stated, however communities should not wait to start planning for what he described as a once-in-a-lifetime tourism and enterprise alternative.

“You have to begin now,” Dailey stated. “That is what it actually comes right down to.”

Dailey, who now works in a authorities relations function for Kelley Business Companions of Little Rock, is not the one one urging Arkansas cities to not underestimate the potential financial affect of the eclipse. The Division of Arkansas Tourism has launched a publication and countdown timer for the eclipse, hosted webinars, and despatched officers to cities within the path of the eclipse to assist them prepare.

Kim Williams, who’s coordinating the division’s eclipse outreach and planning, informed Texarkana leaders this month to anticipate visitation “not like something Arkansas has seen earlier than.” Many guests will probably be touring to Arkansas for the primary time. Whether or not they have an expertise that makes them need to return might have an effect on the state’s tourism trade for years. 

Arkansas Tourism has been working with Brook Kaufman, the previous head of tourism in Casper, Wyoming, a metropolis of about 58,000 that was a major viewing vacation spot for the 2017 eclipse. She’s been touring Arkansas to share classes discovered from the expertise. 

Casper is the seat of Natrona County, the place over a five-day interval about 21,000 stargazers, photographers and scientists stuffed rooms, eating places and roadways. Among the many guests was a nationwide group of novice astronomers, which reserved each room of Casper’s largest resort 5 years upfront.

After the eclipse was over, guests had spent $7.5 million within the county and left behind about $500,000 in gross sales taxes. Statewide, almost 192,000 folks visited and spent $63.5 million.

“Individuals do not imagine that folks will journey for this,” Kaufman informed group leaders in De Queen. “I am right here to let you know, I used to be in that camp as properly, and so they do journey.”

Kaufman estimated that Arkansas’ tourism haul will seemingly be within the tons of of thousands and thousands. The state has a number of issues going for it that Wyoming would not, equivalent to a central location. The 2024 eclipse’s zone of totality will stretch 123 miles, double the dimensions of the 60-mile swath that moved by Wyoming. About two-thirds of Arkansas will probably be within the viewing space, together with bigger cities like Sizzling Springs, Little Rock, Conway and Jonesboro.

Not solely will the zone of totality be wider, however the eclipse will final about twice so long as it did in 2017. Some components of Arkansas will probably be at nighttime for greater than 4 minutes. 

Solely two complete eclipses have been recorded in Arkansas historical past. One occurred in 1834, when Arkansas was nonetheless a U.S. territory, and the opposite was in 1918. The subsequent complete eclipse within the U.S. — which is able to once more cowl a lot of Arkansas — is not till 2045.

“You may have an actual alternative to generate one thing that you have by no means performed earlier than right here,” Kaufman stated. “And I promise you — in Wyoming, it was the most important tourism occasion that we are going to ever see in my lifetime, and I’d enterprise to say that for a lot of of you who stay in Arkansas, it will likely be the identical.”

Kaufman has beneficial multi-day occasions to hedge towards the potential for poor climate on eclipse day.

Completely different locations are taking totally different approaches to the eclipse, and a few are farther together with their plans than others. In Mena, zipline tour firm The Blue has scheduled eight days of live shows, tenting and different actions unfold out over 120 acres on a historic farm. The occasion options meals, distributors and visitor audio system together with astronomer P. Clay Sherrod. Tent tenting passes begin at $386, whereas passes for RV campers begin at $586. The venue consists of an amphitheater with a capability of simply over 22,000.

One other multi-day occasion that includes academic seminars and out of doors festivals is being deliberate in Sevier County, which is billing itself as “residence to the longest period of totality within the state of Arkansas.” Sizzling Springs tourism officers are selling town on-line as “one of the crucial ideally suited locations on the planet” for the eclipse. Smaller locations like Clinton are taking part in up their rural attraction.

“Clinton’s picturesque skyline will body your celestial view with rolling hills and open fields, with out the city obstacles or gentle air pollution of a cityscape,” town’s web site says.

Extra: View an interactive map of the eclipse path.

Morrilton on April 8 held an occasion downtown marking two years till the eclipse. Officers spoke with residents about what to anticipate, bought T-shirts and signed up folks to assist in totally different areas of planning. Town’s Rotary Membership hosted Dailey a little bit greater than per week later. He urged them to proceed reaching out to the group and to “actually make them really feel part of it.”

Kaufman, talking in De Queen, additionally harassed the significance of collaboration. She beneficial bringing accommodations collectively to debate their plans, speaking to banks about conserving ATMs stuffed, and ensuring eating places know they could want additional meals.

Kaufman stated no single authorities entity in Natrona County needed to run the eclipse effort, however finally it took involvement from all of them. Organizers arrange a nonprofit to coordinate their efforts, increase cash and restrict authorized danger to the businesses. They held month-to-month conferences with the state parks and wildlife departments, native hospitals, emergency administration and county well being officers, and the financial improvement workplace.

The hassle ended up costing about $250,000 over 16 months, with the cash going towards an eclipse information, staffing, communications and advertising and marketing. There have been different bills for trash cleanup, utilities, leisure, parking and safety.

“In case you assume you are simply going to promote apple pie in your road nook and watch folks drive by,” she stated, “you are unsuitable.”

Regardless of their planning, there have been a variety of issues through the 2017 eclipse that did not work out the way in which Casper hoped. Nightly resort charges within the metropolis skyrocketed from round $90 to a excessive of $1,300, with many accommodations requiring a five-night minimal at $750 per evening.

Guests paid these charges, Kaufman stated, however they weren’t glad about it.

“There was a little bit little bit of gouging,” she stated. 

Whereas accommodations raked in vacationer cash, eclipse planners left some money on the desk. Kaufman stated they might’ve performed extra nationwide advertising and marketing for the world as an eclipse vacation spot. Additionally they underestimated demand for T-shirts, particular eclipse glasses and different merchandise. Their vendor bought out of merchandise, leaving them with about $25,000 in gross sales, an quantity they assume they might’ve tripled. 

Staffers weren’t ready to deal with a deluge in questions from vacationers about the place to remain, what to eat and the best way to get there within the months main as much as the eclipse. Kaufman stated they obtained 7,800 cellphone calls, 10,000 emails and numerous messages on social media. Staff spent 460 hours responding. 

There have been additionally communications request from the media, typically about unusual issues that organizers weren’t anticipating they’d have to deal with, like rumors of a mass suicide through the eclipse.

However the largest headache got here after the eclipse. Hundreds of tourists left city on the similar time, inflicting gridlock. The backup prolonged to Interstate 25, turning a four-hour drive from Casper to Denver right into a 10-hour ordeal. The Wyoming Division of Transportation estimated that total site visitors elevated by greater than 536,000 autos.

Some guests ended up sleeping of their vehicles alongside the freeway. Kaufman stated that hopefully Arkansas guests will keep an additional evening to keep away from the identical downside.