Arlington Tourism On The Rise

Dollars are pouring in for entertainment in Arlington

From the thrill of amusement park rides to the crack of the bat at the Ballpark, Arlington appears to be riding the wave of tourism success.

"Just in general people want a place to go, people want something that is close to home a lot of times and this is perfect for that," said Decima Cooper from the Arlington Convention and Visitors Bureau.        

On Saturday, Six Flags Over Texas brought in Dallas native and celebrity Vanilla Ice to promote its newest amusement park ride, the Mr. Freeze Reverse Blast.

"I'm an adrenaline junkie and that's an adrenaline ride right there," said Ice. "It is awesome!"

Six Flags Over Texas is just one of the major attractions in Arlington.  Sports enthusiasts are flocking to the Ballpark to see the Texas Rangers play.

"If your a really big sports fanatic, you of course are going to follow your team," said Cooper.

Fans checking into local hotels contributed to the $500 million a year tourists spend in the city.

According to the Arlington Convention and Visitors Bureau, employment supported tourism has grown 9.5 percent since 2008.  Tourism has also created 10,500 jobs.

Cooper said the Cowboys Stadium also played a major role, offering not only games but another place for entertainment.

"It's a perfect mesh of everything that a tourist could possibly ask for, you've got sports entertainment, bowling, you've got everything," said Cooper.

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