Chamber presents 2023 Season Kickoff, Tourism Trade Show

MSDT instructor Sharlene Kenyon and manager Toni Braden of Beaver Dam Dive Shop and Resort participated in the recent tourism trade show held in Eureka Springs. They offer PADI diving certifications and courses for all levels, as well as a dive shop fully stocked with diving gear, resort gear and vacation conveniences. (Steve Johnson / Eureka Springs Times-Echo)
Eureka Springs Times-Echo

The Eureka Springs Chamber of Commerce hosted a 2023 Season Kickoff, Luncheon and Tourism Trade Show on Tuesday, April 4, at the Inn of the Ozarks Convention Center.

Travis Napper, director of Arkansas Tourism for the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, was the featured speaker for the event.

Napper said Arkansas tourism has fared well, pointing to data tracking tourism metrics for each state dating back to 2019.

“Arkansas has continued to outperform the entire U.S. the whole way,” Napper said.

Napper said travel spending, air passenger volume, hotel demand and hospitality jobs are all up from 2019’s pre-pandemic numbers.

“So we are in a very good spot,” Napper said. “I keep saying it’s going to plateau at some point, but we are on a record of 21 consecutive months of that month being the best 2 percent (state tourism tax) collection we’ve ever had. … The pandemic was tough at first, but people flooded back and continue to flood back” Eureka Springs Mayor Butch Berry and Scott Bardin, interim director of the Eureka Springs City Advertising and Promotion Commission, also spoke at the event, with Bardin urging tourism businesses to upload their information to the CAPC’s new website, VisitEurekaSprings. com.

“There’s so many other businesses here that can benefit from these click-through rates that need to get on our new website,” Bardin said.

More than 30 businesses participated in the day-long trade show, with booths set up along the perimeter of the room.

Devin Henderson, the chamber’s director of operations, said the event was a big success.

“We had a lot of businesses come today that maybe everybody doesn’t know about, but the folks who came here left knowing about all those businesses, for sure,” Henderson said.

Melody Elliott of SUP-Outfitters participated in the Tourism Trade Show held April 4 in Eureka Springs. SUP stands for “Stand Up Paddleboarding” — a surface water sport where the surfer uses a paddle to move through the water while standing on a surfboard. Her business offers rentals, lessons, ECO tours, group parties and SUP yoga. (Steve Johnson / Eureka Springs Times-Echo)

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