Greetings Industry Insiders!Thanks to everyone who participated in National Tourism Week festivities last week. Communities across the state celebrated tourism in a variety of ways. To name a few: Batesville grilled burgers in the park, Lake Village had Arkansas-themed giveaways and North Little Roc . . .

Greetings Industry Insiders!Congratulations to our friends in Eureka Springs, as “America’s #1 Attended Outdoor Drama,” The Great Passion Play, opens this Friday and Saturday. We applaud all who worked so hard to keep this venerable Ozarks attraction open for visitors.National Travel and Tourism Wee . . .

Greetings Industry Insiders!Well, it took a while but spring has finally sprung on us. I’m glad to say the dogwoods are blooming – though it’d be nice if the pollen wasn’t so bad!In this missive, you’ll find a lot of interesting information, including more about our “Create Your Escape” contest and . . .

Greetings Industry Insiders!

When we put together this newsletter, we realized it’s all about opportunities. Opportunities for exposure through our “Create Your Escape” campaign which started today, opportunities for recognition, opportunities to provide great customer service even when we’ . . .

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed volutpat auctor est lobortis dignissim. Curabitur sed orci sit amet tellus dignissim suscipit et quis orci. Nam eget turpis justo. Etiam auctor laoreet tellus semper lobortis. Aliquam placerat lacus sed nisl molestie sit amet ornare enim m . . .

April 2, 2013Greetings Industry Insiders!We have a lot of good things happening in Arkansas these days – and one of them is growth of the state’s tourism industry: new attractions, new convention centers, new hotels, and new jobs. To help keep this momentum, please consider taking an active role in . . .

Greetings Industry Insiders!

The 39th Annual Governor’s Conference on Tourism was a success.  Approximately 580 industry folks gathered in Hot Springs to talk tourism. We had a great lineup of speakers and look forward to putting our key takeaways to work to increase and enhance trave . . .

Greetings Industry Insiders!

The 39th Annual Governor’s Conference on Tourism is less than two weeks away, and we hope to see you there for a great lineup of speakers, workshops and networking opportunities.   Have you made your reservation?  Why not?

This year, we’ll b . . .

Time is running out to register for the 39thAnnual Governor’s Conference on Tourism. This year’s event will be packed with spectacular seminars and networking opportunities.  Don’t miss the excitement!  Clear your calendar for March 3-5 and make your way to Hot Springs!

To re . . .

Greetings Industry Insiders!

The 31st Annual Travel South Showcase will be in Little Rock February 17-20. We are proud that Arkansas has this great opportunity to host nearly 600 tourism professionals who will be gathering with one purpose – to promote travel to and within the Travel South . . .

Hello there,

By now you’ve registered to attend the 39th Annual Arkansas Governor’s Conference on Tourism. You haven’t? Surely you’re planning to attend the state’s premier tourism event March 3-5. It’s a chance to learn a lot about new trends in the industry, to discover how to market t . . .

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Travel South USA Gives Back to Provide Seeds of Change for Arkansas and Other Southern Regions The Tourism Industry will raise money to provide a grant to help limited-resource Americans become more self-reliant and economically stable, healthier, and better stewards of the la . . .

Greetings Industry Insiders!We’re in the middle of winter in Arkansas, but whenever January rolls around, we in the tourism industry are already thinking about the upcoming spring and summer seasons. Maybe it’s because the magazine deadlines for spring ads are already here (now is the time to con . . .

Happy New Year Industry Insiders!Who says you can’t teach an old dog (in our case, a well-established tourism industry) some new tricks?Several articles in today’s Industry Insider focus on how we can be progressive in 2013. With the current pace of technological advancements, it seems we can nev . . .

New Arkansas Marketing Campaign Approved

The State Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission approved a $6.2 million advertising and marketing campaign for Spring/Summer 2013 at its September 20 meeting.

The new branding effort titled “Create Your Escape: Marketing Arkansas to Today’s . . .

Greetings Industry Insiders,

The turning of the New Year ahead is a reminder to us all – that the Arkansas Governor’s Conference on Tourism is just around the corner. Registration for the event begins January 2nd, and the line-up of impressive guests is almost set. Learn more about one of . . .

Greetings Industry Insiders,

Great news this morning! We've just learned that Diane LaFollett has been named the new executive director of the Mid-America Science Museum! Read the story below.

Many of you probably recall that Parks and Tourism’s 2013 Spring/Summer marketing plan was p . . .

Greetings Industry Insiders, 

Arkansas is a cozy place to give thanks and spend time with family and friends during the holiday season. The winter air turns just chilly enough to give Southerners a reason to light a fire and linger over a warming mug of hot cocoa or cider. Another holi . . .

Greetings Industry Insiders,You may notice you’ve received this letter on Wednesday. We realize you have many commitments during the work week, and to assist you with planning for your weekends we’ve moved our Industry Insider release date to Wednesday mornings. It’s yet another way we’re hopin . . .

Greetings Industry Insiders,

One of our best assets is our fall color. Thanks to the late summer rain we’re now seeing red, yellow and orange leaves in areas of northern and central Arkansas.  How’s the fall color in your area? If you have foliage worth boasting about, we encourage you . . .

Greetings from the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism:

We’d like to take a minute to thank you for your contributions toward making Arkansas a desirable vacation spot for our visitors and a top economic engine for The Natural State. Many of you have poured countless hours into making your es . . .

"Create Your Escape: Marketing Arkansas To Today's Traveler"

Join us to hear the proposed plan, “Create Your Escape:  Marketing Arkansas To Today's Traveler,” which is designed to promote tourism in Arkansas for the 2013 Spring/Summer season.

Outlined will be the recommendations for me . . .

The Art of Arkansas: Little Rock Hosts the 31stAnnual Travel South Showcase

The Travel South Showcase will be held on February 17, 2013 in Little Rock, Arkansas. Travel South Showcase is a  regional appointment-style marketplace focused on increasing travel to and within the southern s . . .

COVER Update / How to refill those Isaac cancellations

It’s been a hectic week for our lodging partners in Arkansas.  With the concern that potential evacuees might seek shelter in our state, the Department of Parks and Tourism has activated the COVER program.  COVER sta . . .

Are you prepared for Hurricane Isaac?  COVER is prepared for you.

Tropical storm season is well underway – and COVER is ready.  The Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism wants to remind you about this useful program.  COVER stands for Communication of Vacancies Emergen . . .

Are you prepared for Hurricane Isaac?  COVER is prepared for you. 

Tropical storm season is well underway – and COVER is ready.  The Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism wants to remind you about this useful program.  COVER stands for Communication of Vacancies Emergency . . .

Late Summer Value Campaign Continues

The “Grownup Getaways” television and radio campaign has been in the market for nearly two weeks. Parks and Tourism is investing more than $257,600 in messages inviting grandparents and couples traveling with or without grandchildren/children to visit  . . .

Late Summer Value Campaign Begins

On Monday, July 30, a new effort designed to build your business during the last two weeks of August called "Grown-up Getaways" launches. Parks and Tourism is investing more than $257,600 in cable television and radio messages inviting grandparents and c . . .

The Industry Insider brings you the latest in tourism-industry news. We’ll continue to bring you the top stories bi-weekly, and you’ll notice a couple of new segments in this edition, including social media and guest service tips. We also want to hear from you. Let us know topics that would help . . .

Prettiest Painted Places in America

The Paint Quality Institute is conducting a competition to find the “Prettiest Painted Places in America.” Through Prettiest Painted Places, the Paint Quality Institute is searching for American towns and neighborhoods that have exceptional . . .

Dyess Colony Restoration Gets $350K Boost

Arkansas State University has received a $350,000 grant for the next phase of the restoration of the Historic Dyess Colony Administration Building. The grant is the third the university has received from the Arkansas Natural . . .

Commission Approves Fall/Winter Campaign

The State Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission approved a $3.7 million advertising and marketing campaign at its May 17 meeting.

The campaign features Arkansas’s spectacular fall color and includes TV, magazi . . .

Are you looking to encourage people to visit your establishment this summer?  Here’s a great way to drive people to your town.

The Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism has launched a partnership campaign aimed at reminding visi . . .

Summer Marketing Campaign to Address Potentially High Gas Prices

In response to industry concerns regarding the possibility of high gas prices this summer, the Department of Parks and Tourism is reallocating more than $370,000 in advertising to promote the "More Fu . . .

  Friday, March 30 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Arkansas State Capitol   Support Arkansas’s #2 economic industry!  Stop by for a meet and greet with local tourism leaders and receive free goodies from the US Travel team.  US Travel has just launched the Vote Travel bus tour.  . . .

March 23, 2012

APT #18045

National Tourism Week 2012 will be May 5-13. The Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism observes this commemoration annually. Arkansas's Tourist Appre . . .

COVER Test Could Fill Your Remaining Spring Break Rooms

Some savvy consumers have already planned and booked their spring break vacations this year.  For those who haven’t, here’s a chance to . . .

STS Top 20 Events List Deadline Approaching

The Southeast Tourism Society (STS) deadline for the Fall 2012 list of Top 20 events is April 6. Through a nomination process, STS chooses the Top 20 events in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee . . .

Buffalo National River 40th Anniversary Microsite Launched on Arkansas.com

On March 1, 1972, Arkansas’s Buffalo River was named the first national river in the United States. The Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism celebrates this important an . . .

Registration Open for AFEA Conference

The Arkansas Festivals and Events annual conference and tradeshow is scheduled for March 14-16 at Embassy Suites Northwest Arkansas in Rogers.  &n . . .

NULL Arkansas Properties Ranked Tops by Travelers

TripAdvisor announced the Capital Hotel among the Top 25 Hotels in the United States as part of its 2012 Travelers’ Choice awards. The 10th annual list revealed premier p . . .

Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro is set to celebrate two big milestones this year. March 15th marks 40 years since the site’s creation as an Arkansas state park... and sometime soon, the 30,000th diamond found since the park’s opening will be unearthed. The latest count . . .

Wondering what you’ll experience at this year’s Arkansas Governor’s Conference on Tourism? The schedule is out. Among the sessions offered, you’ll find topics ranging from social media to sustainability, the Civil War to culinary tourism. And while you’re making . . .

38th Annual Arkansas Governor’s Conference on Tourism Slated for March 4-6

Tourism industry members from across Arkansas will soon descend on West Memphis to kick off the 38th Annual Arkansas Governor’s Conference on Tourism. This yearly co . . .

Trail of Holiday Lights Campaign Lights Up

Sixty-six towns across the state are participating in this year’s Trail of Holiday Lights campaign. The celebration, which begins Thanksgiving week and lasts through Christmas, includes official lighting . . .