October 2012 SPRTC Summary

2012-10-22 — /travelprnews.com/ — The following is a synopsis of the Arkansas State Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission meeting held at Village Creek State Park in Wynne on October 18, 2012. For questions regarding this report, please contact Gloria Robins, executive assistant, at 501-682-7614. The next Commission meeting will be held November 15, 2012, in Eureka Springs.

Executive Director’s Report

Executive Director Richard Davies reported that ADPT staff attended the first round of budget hearings on Oct. 17. Staff will be providing more information to legislators in the next few weeks.

Tourism Division

Assistant Tourism Director Marla Crider reported that the Mississippi River Parkway Commission of Arkansas received the Pilot’s Award at the National Mississippi River Parkway Commission’s annual meeting in Louisville, Kentucky, in September. The awardis presented annuallyto a state or province commission in recognition of outstanding achievements in pursuing the goals and objectives of the national organization.For more information, contact Marla Crider at 501-682-1120.

Requests for travel information were up 6 ½ percent in September 2012 compared to September 2011. Year-to-date visitation at the Arkansas Welcome Centers is up 3 percent. The dedication of the new West Memphis Welcome Center, previously scheduled on October 30, has been postponed indefinitely due to construction delays. Contact Joanne Hinson at 501-324-1520 for details.

Donna Perrin and Gretchen Sacotnik attended the AARP National Event & Expo in New Orleans on September 20-22. Attendance was estimated at 30,000. The deadline for nominations for the 2013 Henry Awards is October 26. For additional information, contact Donna Perrin at 501-682-1926.

The Geiger and Associates FAM tour of the Arkansas Delta for national journalists took place October 1-9. Twenty writers representing a wide variety of publications toured the Arkansas Delta from Lake Village to Piggott and multiple sites in between. One of the focuses was the music of the region, and the majority of the journalists attended the King Biscuit Blues Festival in historic Helena and the Johnny Cash Music Festival in Jonesboro. For details, contact Kat Robinson at 501-682-7606.

Cranford Johnson Robinson and Woods presented revisions to the 2013 Spring/Summer campaign. The Commission approved the changes. An update on the Natural State Golf Trail was presented to Commissioners. Upcoming changes include an additional presence on social media, modifications to the trail website, and a new brochure. Wayne Woods reported on the upcoming 2013 Western Amateur Championship to be held at The Alotian Club in Roland on July 24-August 4, 2013. The Commission approved to commit to an advertisement in the tournament program.

Aristotle reported that visits to Arkansas.com were up 23 percent in September 2012 compared to September 2011. Arkansas’s tourism website placed #2 on Hitwise’s custom category “All 50 State Tourism Sites” for September 2012. Over the next few weeks, new content will be launched on Arkansas.com, including the 2012 Trail of Holiday Lights, the new Travel Arkansas blog, new Instagram hashtags for holiday lights and a Foursquare option on Attractions, Lodging and Dining pages.

Parks Division

Arkansas State Parks (ASP) renewed the grant partnership program with Arkansas Broadcaster’s Association for the coming year.  The partnership program promotes ASP through TV and radio advertising. The partnership program promotes the diverse facilities, programs and activities of the state park system, inspiring Arkansas pride in the state park system encouraging Arkansans to travel in state and visit other Arkansas travel destinations.  For additional information contact Joan Ellison at 501-682-2873.

Lease agreements have been approved with Arkansas State Parks and the City of Fort Smith for the construction of hiking and mountain bike trails at Lake Fort Smith State Park as follows:  Boston Mountain Trail; Shepherd Spring Dam Trail and Shepherd Spring Trail.  For additional information contact Randy Roberson at 501-682-1633.

Arkansas State Parks announced the winners of the FY 12 State Park Awards recently at the annual Superintendent’s Conference held at Petit Jean State Park as follows:

Park of the Year, Region 1 – Prairie Grove Battlefield /Overall Winner;Park of the Year, Region 2 – Mammoth Spring State Park;  Park of the Year, Region 3 – Mississippi River State Park;  Park of the Year, Region 4 – Historic Washington State Park;  and Park of the Year, Region 5 – DeGray Lake Resort State Park.  In addition, specific categories were awarded as follows:  Interpretive Program of the Year – Powhatan Historic State Park; Outstanding Hospitality – DeGray Lake Resort State Park; Outstanding Park Maintenance – Ozark Folk Center State Park; Outstanding Special Event – Historic Washington State Park; Resource Management – Toltec Mounds Archeological State Park; and Volunteer Program – Historic Washington State Park.  For additional information contact Greg Butts at 501-682-7743.

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