The Clinton Presidential Center's opening is the hottest ticket in Arkansas and the Capitol City is cashing in on tourism dollars.

Little Rock Visitors' Center director Lucas Hargraves says, "Little Rock is a great place to come and visit and spend time. It's a great place to bring a convention, to hold a meeting or to do business."

Major renovations are taking place at the airport. The 1.5 million dollar project, the largest landscaping project the airport's seen, includes grounds improvements and upgrades to their gift shops, including a new visitors' center.

An immediate impact will be felt in the hospitality industry with restaurants and hotels. Hargraves continues, "We've had certain specific conventions and groups that have told us had the Clinton Library not been on the map and not been part of Little Rock and our partnering endeavor, they would have not come here."

The grand opening of course, will be taking place in Little Rock, but the benefits will be shared throughout Arkansas. Cities like Hope and Hot Springs are reaping the benefits.

Hope is the birthplace of the 42nd President and at the Hope Visitor Center and Museum, they're expecting big things. Museum director Gary Johnson says, "Economically, it will be a shot in the arm; to make up for maybe the last several years that have been slow."

Johnson says when Clinton was in office, the museum experienced a growth spurt of 20,000 visitors a year. Since he's been out, there's been a steady decline. In 2003, only 12,000 visitors toured the home.

Johnson continues, "Now, for the first time since 2000, it's going back up. It's gone up a good way, a pretty big way."

In Hot Springs, where 2 million tourists visit annually, they're stepping up their Clinton connection with a driving tour of his favorite spots.

Hot Springs Visitor's Center Director Steve Arrison says, "You can stop outside of his house on Park Avenue where he grew up as a young man, you can see the high school where he had his prom."

A new display will be featured in the Hot Springs Mountain Tower highlighting Clinton and the city's history. Arrison continues, "In that, there's a Clinton component. There will be items of President Clinton and telling the Clinton story and growing up here in Hot Springs. It provides a once in a lifetime opportunity for them to be involved and to capture some of the attention that will be here."

With the library's opening, it's difficult to forecast what the monetary impact will mean for the presidential cities. One thing's for sure; its impact will be felt for many years to come.

Hargraves says, "This is an attraction; this is a president different than any other president. I think it will have a long-term effect. I think it will last and draw more people." And hopefully bring with it new businesses and development opportunities.