Welcome to Arkansas Program Aimed At Keeping Visitors in State Longer

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By Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Customer service is vital to gaining and retaining clients. This is especially true in the tourism industry.

The Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism recognized this and partnered with the Arkansas Hospitality Association (AHA) to help communities improve customer service from frontline employees. The goal of the program is to increase visitors' satisfaction during an Arkansas vacation and encourage them to stay longer.

Welcome to Arkansas is a grass-roots project targeted at people who work in businesses that have face-to-face contact with tourists, according to Joe David Rice, Arkansas tourism director. Lodging properties, attractions, restaurants, convenience stores and chambers of commerce are the most obvious.

“By arming frontline personnel with messages and information about their region and state, communities can encourage guests to spend more time and money in their area,” Rice said. “Our research indicated that when visitors asked a hotel clerk, ‘What’s there to do around here?’ many times the clerk would answer, ‘Not much.’

“However, with information about things to see and do in their vicinity, frontline employees will be able to confidently and enthusiastically educate visitors and encourage them to stay longer. Every community – no matter how small – has points of interest.”

A total of 56 towns are currently participating in the program. Every community in Arkansas is eligible to participate, but it’s strictly voluntary. The Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism provides free customized supporting materials and customer service training for each locale.

Participating towns receive Welcome to Arkansas lapel buttons for personnel to wear, along with information cards that list area attractions and window stickers that identify the business as a program partner. A video on Arkansas is also provided to share with area stores and attractions.

Scott Sudduth of AHA serves as Welcome to Arkansas coordinator. He travels the state presenting programs to interested communities and organizations and encouraging them to get involved.

“We want people who participate to give friendly customer service to our guests,” Sudduth said. “We encourage them to go that extra step in providing outstanding hospitality. In doing so, we hope tourists will stay longer in our state, which leads to spending more money. That’s good for the local economy and Arkansas. So Welcome to Arkansas is a win-win situation.”

Pam Ferguson, executive director of the Crossett Area Chamber of Commerce, says the program is working.

“It seems that many communities are catching on to the fact that tourism, as an industry, is a very large, lucrative economic engine,” Ferguson said. “Many have come to realize that even communities without a huge attraction, manmade or natural, can get a piece of this pie with a bit of focused effort.

“Smaller communities are beginning to truly see the value of day-trippers and staycationers who visit even for a short time, but want to truly experience the local flavor of the area and are willing to pour new dollars into the local fiscal pool.

“Welcome to Arkansas gives towns the necessary tools and resources for training everyone with little more investment than their time and desire to promote the region without the struggle of creating a program from scratch.”

For more information about Welcome to Arkansas, contact Sudduth at (501) 376-2323 or Scott@arhospitality.org.

Welcome to Arkansas Communities:

Arkansas CityBatesville Area Chamber of Commerce

Bentonville Convention & Visitors Bureau

Berryville Chamber of Commerce

Booneville Development Corporation/ South Logan County Chamber of Commerce
Bradley County Chamber of Commerce

Brinkley Advertising & Promotion

Bryant Area Chamber of Commerce

City of Charleston

Clarksville-Johnson Co. Chamber of Commerce

Clinton Chamber of Commerce

Crossett Area Chamber of Commerce

Dermott Chamber of Commerce

Dumas Chamber of Commerce

El Dorado A&P Commission

Eureka Springs Chamber of Commerce

Fairfield Bay Area Chamber of Commerce

Fayetteville Visitors Bureau

Fordyce Chamber of Commerce

Forrest City

Fort Smith A&P Commission

Main Street Hardy

Harrison Convention & Visitors Bureau

Heber Springs Area Chamber of Commerce

Hope

Hot Springs CVB

Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce

Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce

Lake Village Chamber of Commerce

McGehee Chamber of Commerce

Melbourne Area Chamber of Commerce

Mena-Polk County Chamber of Commerce

Montgomery County/Mount Ida Chamber of Commerce

Monticello/Drew County

Montrose/Eastern Ashley County

Mountain Home Chamber of Commerce

Mountain View Area Chamber of Commerce

Morrilton Area Chamber of Commerce

Newport Area Chamber of Commerce

North Central Arkansas Tourism Council

North Little Rock Visitors Bureau

Osceola/South Mississippi County Chamber of Commerce

Ozark Gateway Region

Paragould Chamber of Commerce

Paris Area Chamber of Commerce

Phillips County Chamber of Commerce

Piggott Area Chamber of Commerce

Pine Bluff Convention & Visitors Bureau

Prescott/Nevada County Economic Development Office

Randolph County Tourism Association

Russellville Advertising & Promotion

Searcy County Chamber of Commerce

Spring River Area Chamber of Commerce

Sunken Lands Regional Chamber of Commerce

Van Buren A&P Commission

Waldron/Scott County

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