Arkansas State Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission Meeting

The following is a synopsis of the Arkansas State Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission meeting held January 17, 2008, in Hot Springs, Arkansas at the Hot Springs Convention Center. For questions regarding this report, please contact Jana Greenbaum, communications director, at (501) 682-7606.

SPECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS

Jay Bunyard, 2007 chair of the State Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission passed the gavel to the 2008 chair, Steve Arrison, executive director of Hot Springs’ Convention and Visitors Bureau. The commission presented Bunyard with a plaque in recognition of his year of service.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT

The next State Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission meeting will be held February 20-21 in Mountain Home. The full commission will convene at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and reconvene on Thursdays at 8:00 a.m. For a 2008 schedule of State Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission meetings, contact Gloria Robins at 501-682-7614.

Richard Davies will attend a meeting at the Corps of Engineers office in Hot Springs on January 28 regarding the Lake Ouachita campground closings. Bill Barnes, owner/operator of Mountain Harbor Resort in Mount Ida, provided an update on the Vicksburg Corps of Engineers campground closings in the state. Barnes stated he believes this situation represents one of the most serious threats the state’s tourism industry has faced. Barnes asserted his belief that the industry will have to be visible before the legislature and vigilant in voicing the impact of these closures on Arkansas’s economy. For progress reports on the Corps’ closing in Arkansas, contact Richard Davies at 501-682-3525.

TOURISM DIVISION

Don Harper presented a status report on the renovation and anticipated schedule for the re-opening of the Quapaw Bathhouse on Bathhouse Row in Hot Springs National Park. Harper partnered with award-winning architects Anthony Taylor and Robert Kempkes to obtain a 55-year lease from the National Park Service. The Spanish Colonial Revival style building of masonry and reinforced concrete will feature an 80 person walk-in pool, a gift shop, reception hall and snack bar; full spa services will be offered. The grand opening is currently scheduled for spring of 2008. For more information on the Quapaw Bathhouse project, contact Don Harper at 501-282-2601.

The 2008 Governor’s Conference on Tourism will be held March 9-11 in Rogers, AR. For information on speakers and registration, contact Nancy Clark at 501-682-1120.

The Commission approved amending the guidelines for handling misrepresentation complaints. The process, which originally applied to advertising pieces distributed in Welcome Centers, now also covers the state’s Web sites.

The communications section has updated 51 historical feature releases on Arkansas State Parks for the 75th anniversary. The articles will be paired with images of the parks and circulated to a broad list of media that cover Arkansas. For information on promotional initiatives supported by the tourism division contact Jana Greenbaum at 501-682-7606.

The Research & Information Services Section processed 9,401 requests for travel information during November 2007, a decrease of 32.2% from November 2006. The December total is 7,192, a 16.2% decrease from December 2006. The calendar year 2007 inquiry total is 510,528, an increase of 5.0% over 2006. November and December requests for retirement/relocation information were 679 and 553 respectively. For research and statistical information on the state’s tourism industry, contact Joanne Hinson at 501-324-1520.

Arkansas Group Travel responded to 129 inquiries in November and December. The majority of the requests came from group operators and travel agents. The remaining inquires came from reunion planners and group leaders. For information on group travel in Arkansas, contact Nancy Clark at 501-682-1120.

The final deadline for the fiscal year for the ARKANSAS TOURISM ATTRACTION FEASIBILITY STUDY MATCHING GRANT was November 30. One application was submitted by the city of Eureka Springs and approved. A study will be done of the "Underground City" project by Robert Berry, Architect and University of Arkansas Center for Business & Economic Research. For more information contact, Donna Perrin, tourism development manager at 501-682-1926.

On January 8 Donna Perrin met with the Arkansas Economic Development Commission planning committee members regarding the "MY COMMUNITY" student film project. Winners will be announced in Little Rock on April 30. For information on these projects contact Donna Perrin at 501-682-1926.

For the first time, Arkansas.com’s Web site traffic dropped to second place (trailing Texas) among the states contiguous to Arkansas. Aristotle producer, Jon Eudy speculated that this result was a combination of the impact of the redesign of Arkansas’s official state government site and a seasonal e-mail greeting deployed by Texas that created a spike on its site. For information on this report, contact Jonathan Eudy at 501-374-4638.

The Commission approved the spring/summer 2008 online budget ($425,000). This represents approximately 10% of the Tourism Division’s total seasonal budget. The plan includes mass sites, niche sites and lead generation. eMarketer stats currently show the Internet now represents about 7% of the average advertising budget. New niche markets targeted by the plan include girlfriend getaways, the travel social network Tripadvisor.com, and a remarketing program with 24/7 media that will allow the state to re-market to Arkansas.com visitors that failed to schedule travel plans. The proposed plan includes slight increase in mobile advertising and eliminates floating, or rolling, banner ads. For more information, contact Karen Mullikin, CJRW at 501-975-6251.

The Commission requested that staff and CJRW collaborate to research and recommend ways of increasing the exposure of Arkansas tourism to the St. Louis market.

"Amazed by Arkansas," a joint promotion between the tourism industry, the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Today’s THV has produced in excess of $3 million in publicity during its 2007 run. For information on these projects and the state’s marketing plan, contact Joe David Rice at 501-682-1087.

PARKS DIVISION

The Commission approved the staffs FY 09 Grant Request recommendations to the Arkansas Natural & Cultural Resources Council for the council’s May 7, 2008 meeting. For information on projects proposed, contact Stan Graves at 501-682-7743.

Update on 75th Anniversary Website Promotions Joseph Jacobs, Marketing and Revenue Manager of Arkansas State Parks presented Web site updates and plans for the division’s 75th anniversary. The Web site now features an interactive timeline, and a new blog feature that will allow visitors to submit their stories and photos of their experiences in Arkansas State Parks for review and publication on Arkansasstateparks.com. The new features went live on Wednesday and a story has already been submitted. For more information the 75th anniversary of Arkansas State Park, contact Joe Jacobs at 501-682-6925.