Parks and Tourism Department gets budget increase
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism is getting an increase in its budget and is hoping cuts in other states will lead to more tourists in Arkansas.
The department's 2010 spring and summer marketing campaign budge is $6.67 million — compared to $5.96 million last year.
The State Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission also approved a tourism campaign that features a series of road-trip theme ads intended to attract tourists to the state.
Tourism officials say about 23.8 million tourists came to Arkansas in 2008 — down from 23.9 million in 2007.
Tourism director Joe David Rice says the drop was due in part to the national recession and to weather that included an ice storm and a wet Memorial Day weekend.
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Information from: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, http://www.arkansasonline.com
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