Arkansas Tourism open for business and ready to help make memories
Summertime is fun time in Arkansas, and our state is open for business and waiting to welcome you to The Natural State.
From our majestic mountains to our sparkling blue recreational waters, Arkansas is ready to help families make new vacation memories.
“The flooding in our state has been challenging for those impacted,” said Jim Shamburger, chairman of the State Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission. “However, it is isolated and confined to areas along the Arkansas River. The rest of the state is in great shape and our interstate system, including Interstates 30 and 40, are clear for travel.”
Only Pinnacle Mountain State Park in central Arkansas is currently closed.
Arkansas public and private lodging accommodations, federal recreation areas, and outdoor sporting venues are open and ready for your business.
“No matter the activity – water sports, fishing, biking or road trips – our tourism industry is ready to make this a summer to remember with the outstanding hospitality for which Arkansas is known,” Shamburger said.
Tourism is the second largest industry in Arkansas with an annual economic impact of approximately $7.5 billion and employing more than 116,000 Arkansans. For more information, go to Arkansas.com and ArkansasStateParks.com.
About Arkansas Tourism
Arkansas Tourism, a division of the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, strives to expand the economic impact of travel and tourism in the state and enhance the quality of life for all Arkansans. The division manages 14 Arkansas Welcome Centers and employs more than 60 staff members across The Natural State. For more information, visit www.arkansas.com.
Cathy Drew is a lifelong resident of the region that she loves to promote. She was born in downtown Batesville in the late ’60s, located in one of the eight counties she now enjoys encouraging people to visit.
Drew became associated with the Ozark Gateway Region in 1990 while working at the ad agency (The Media Market Inc.). The agency handled marketing for the regional association, where she and her co-workers produced an annual tabloid publication. She began working as the Ozark Gateway Region director in June 2000.
After Drew became director, she took the region to the next level by helping the tourism organization create a new website and moved it from the old newspaper paper tabloid publication to a color magazine format. She helped open a visitor center for the Ozark Gateway, allowing visitors to pick up information from the entire state 24/7. Over the years, Drew has helped the organization meet new marketing goals, such as in- and out-of-state marketing, assuring that all 100,000 copies of their magazines are distributed each year.
In 2016, she assisted in creating the first Ozark Gateway Region Golf Classic. The tournament continues to grow each year, allowing the organization to expand its co-op program and helping each county have dedicated promotion. Drew stays busy at Ozark Gateway as the ad sales manager, magazine editor, day-to-day office operations, trade show representative, and magazine distribution representative, all while ensuring that the region is represented all over Arkansas and southern Missouri.
Drew was featured in several local and statewide publications over the years, as well as the 1997 cover of the Ozark Gateway Region tabloid, along with her then 4-year-old son, Jon. She has received several awards, such as the Batesville Rotarian of the Year in 2010 and a three-time Paul Harris Fellow.
She also has served as an Independence County election commissioner for several years. She now serves as their co-election coordinator, helping with behind-the-scenes management of voting equipment, day-to-day election deadlines, and poll worker training.
Drew serves on the Arkansas Travel Council Board of Directors, is Batesville Rotary Club Past President, and is the Rotary Clubs’ current publicity chair.
In March of 2018, Drew was honored with induction into the Arkansas Tourism Hall of Fame for her many years of dedicated service to the tourism industry.