The Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism announced today 21 Advertising and Promotion Commissions and Convention and Visitor Bureaus received more than $3.5 million in grants supported by funding from the federal CARES Act.
“The people and agencies that promote our state parks and other tourist attractions to the rest of the world are essential to a robust state economy,” said Governor Asa Hutchinson. “Their campaigns to spread the word about our museums, bike trails, hunting and fishing, and all the other family friendly opportunities in Arkansas entice tourists by the tens of thousands, which supports jobs and brings in millions of dollars to support our state. The CARES Act funds are a bridge to normalcy after the harm to our tourism industry from COVID-19.”
The grant provided reimbursement to Advertising and Promotion Commissions and Convention and Visitor Bureaus and other quasi-governmental entities for eligible expenditures related to the public health emergency incurred between March 1 and Nov. 15, 2020.
“Our A&Ps and CVBs have been among those hardest hit by this pandemic,” said Stacy Hurst, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. “These entities are central to the success of our tourism industry, which is the second-largest sector of our economy in Arkansas. I want to thank Governor Hutchinson for his leadership in finding a way to get this crucial support to these organizations.”
Entities received funds Dec. 30, 2020.
“We have worked diligently as a Department to find ways to support these partners,” said Travis Napper, director of Arkansas Tourism. “These grants will go a long way to benefit tourism in Arkansas and although 2020 has presented significant setbacks, we’re on the right track to come back stronger than before.”
The Arkansas CARES Act Steering Committee in November approved funding the grants using the remaining portion of the funds set aside for municipalities and counties through the program administered by the Department of Finance and Administration.
Grant recipients are:
- City of Batesville Advertising and Promotion Commission, $3,118.80
- Benton Advertising & Promotion Commission, $1,339.30
- Bentonville Advertising & Promotion Commission, $97,947.87
- City of Brinkley Advertising & Promotion, $13,424.57
- Conway A&P Commission, $12,677.82
- El Dorado A&P Commission, $17,596.09
- City of Eureka Springs, $73,707.45
- Fayetteville Advertising & Promotion Commission, $146,683.52
- City of Fort Smith / Fort Smith A & P, $53,612.90
- City of Greenwood A&P Commission, $2,000.00
- Harrison Convention and Visitors Bureau, $23,756.18
- Hot Springs Advertising & Promotion Commission / Hot Springs Convention Center, $736,824.92
- Little Rock A&P Commission (Little Rock CVB), $1,197,155.86
- Multi-Purpose Civic Center Facilities Board for Pulaski County (Simmons Bank Arena), $938,482.27
- North Little Rock Advertising and Promotion, $18,329.78
- Ozark Area Chamber of Commerce, $370.08
- Pine Bluff Advertising and Promotion Commission, $16,949.61
- Rogers A & P Commission, $100,434.42
- City of Texarkana, AR A&P Commission, $16,244.66
- Van Buren Advertising & Promotion Commission, $41,459.69
- West Memphis Advertising & Promotion Commission, $7,064.08
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