It's no secret that tourism has a large economic impact on our state, with Arkansas Tourism reporting that travel alone generated $429 million in state taxes in 2019. However, we saw unprecedented hits to this industry in both 2020 and the early months of 2021.
As we look to the approaching new year, I believe statewide beautification efforts are vital to supporting our tourism industry.
As The Natural State, Arkansas has a unique reputation for outdoor recreational activities. Whether it's the hiking trails in our national parks, fishing on one of our beautiful rivers, exploring mountain peaks in the Ozarks, or unraveling some of our state's deeply rooted history at one of our historic sites, we have a little bit of it all, making us unparalleled to most other states for outdoor enthusiasts.
Though our state has many litter prevention, recycling and beautification efforts in place, we still have room to improve.
Keep America Beautiful found that in 2020, the United States produced 50 billion pieces of litter. Of that litter, 24 billion were along roadways and 26 billion were along waterways.
When visiting larger cities across America, it might be expected to see waste and litter in the streets, beaches and other high-traffic areas. But since Arkansas is known for its outdoor beauty, litter poses an even more dangerous threat to tourism as we work to protect our beautiful, natural landscapes.
For many years, the Keep Arkansas Beautiful Commission (KAB) has been honored with the responsibility of being our state's leading entity on educating individuals to reduce litter, recycle and keep Arkansas beautiful. In this time, we have found two main truths in the work that we do: Developing strong community partnerships is imperative to our success, and the best way to reduce litter waste and promote beautification is by instilling great habits into our youth.
This is why education is truly the heart of our mission.
As an organization committed to seeing Arkansas succeed in both tourism and community involvement, we have been doing what we can to help teachers find unique, engaging ways to teach children across the state about the fundamentals of environmental protection.
Through the development of strategic partnerships, we have been bringing our initiatives directly to schools with the creation of KAB's mascot Otto the Otter and a 40-page children's book and companion workbook. At this time, we have been able to distribute nearly 50,000 children's books and workbooks reaching more than 35,000 students across the state.
This year, we are taking the next step in this approach to education with the unveiling of a mural at eStem Public Charter School in downtown Little Rock. This mural will be a great way to introduce children to the importance of litter prevention and recycling to teach them good environmental awareness habits that can follow them into adulthood.
Both youth education and beautification are important aspects of this project. Forbes reported that street art, like murals, not only improves the beautification of an area but can also provide a much-needed boost to local businesses and commerce.
Coming out of the pandemic, garnering much support for our local businesses and attractions is imperative. That is why we are proud to partner with the Downtown Little Rock Partnership on this important initiative to improve the city.
Partnerships like these across the state are vital; data show that statewide beautification efforts improve a state's economy by boosting tourism, local business revenue and civic pride, creating strong communities that are passionate about maintaining their local environment.
Though statewide beautification efforts are key in supporting our tourism industry moving forward, it isn't something that we can do alone. Establishing unique partnerships across the state and rallying volunteers is vital to the work that we do.
We must all take pride in our state and work together to keep Arkansas beautiful.
Mark Camp is the executive director of Keep Arkansas Beautiful (KAB). KAB is a division of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism and is a certified state affiliate of Keep America Beautiful Inc. KAB inspires and educates individuals to reduce litter, recycle and keep Arkansas beautiful. Learn more at KeepArkansasBeautiful.com.