Murfreesboro seeking to utilize outdoor recreation to boost tourism

The Murfreesboro Advertising and Tourism Commission held a public meeting, last Thursday.

Marketing Director, Jonathon Lance explained the purpose of the meeting and how they were intrigued to see what information would be given by their keynote speaker, Office of Outdoor Recreations Director, Katherine Andrews.

The Arkansas Office of Outdoor Recreation works to leverage the state’s natural assets to grow the outdoor recreation economy.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that outdoor recreation generates $689 billion in economic output and supports 4.3 million jobs.

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), in 2020, Arkansas ranked 4th among all states in value added growth, 7th among all states in employment growth, and 2nd among all states in compensation growth. During that same year outdoor recreation comprised 1.8% of the United States gross domestic product (GDP).

State Offices of Outdoor Recreation (ORECs) serve as central champions for the outdoor recreation economy and its associated benefits within a state.

So far, 16 states have created offices of outdoor recreation, task forces, or policy advisors.

Lance mentioned future plans for Murfreesboro.

The meeting gave insight to the citizens of Murfreesboro and provided numerous ideas that could help bring more tourists to Murfreesboro.