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About the "Welcome to Arkansas" Cross-Selling and
Hospitality Training Program
The "Welcome to Arkansas" cross-selling and hospitality training program seeks to increase visitors' satisfaction with an Arkansas vacation and improve customer service by arming frontline personnel with messages about their local community, region, and state. The project was suggested by members of the industry who attended statewide research meetings in mid-2008.
This incentive-based program is targeted toward frontline personnel at attractions and lodging properties, dining establishments, Chambers of Commerce, Advertising and Promotion Commissions, Convention and Visitors' Bureaus, Welcome Centers, and any other business or group that interacts with the traveling public. Communities encourage guests to spend more time and money in their areas and identify exemplary employees whose actions impact their businesses' bottom lines every day.
The "Welcome to Arkansas" program provides participating communities with supporting materials that can be given to local businesses such as restaurants, lodging facilities, and attractions. Communities are asked to recruit business participants, offer training sessions, distribute the supporting materials to those organizations, recognize outstanding employees, and procure local incentives.
Don't forget the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism offers a hospitality training course for your businesses, communities, and organizations. This course takes participants to a new level in their understanding of what is needed to survive, thrive, and help push your community/region forward. It is designed to address the issues that employers face today and exceed the higher expectations of travelers. The coordinator for the hospitality training program is Kristine Puckett and you can contact her at 501-682-1676 or by e-mail at kristine.puckett(at)arkansas.gov. Don't be without this important knowledge!
Program Objectives:
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Better inform industry personnel regarding local and state attractions.
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Improve customer service.
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Increase customers’ satisfaction levels with their Arkansas vacations.
Free Program Support Materials:
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“Welcome to Arkansas” lapel pins
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Laminated area attraction cards
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Access to Arkansas video content
All of this will be shared with area businesses. The cards will contain information on things to do within a 25- to 50-mile radius of a community, and the attractive lapel pins for frontline personnel will make an immediate and favorable first impression on visitors. A hospitality education program component has been developed and was unveiled at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism in Fort Smith.
A video tour of Arkansas’s natural and cultural attractions will also be provided to participating communities. The video can be used in closed-circuit hotel broadcasting, in chamber of commerce lobbies, or anywhere visitors might look for more information about The Natural State.
Through these free materials and participation, we hope to help the various communities and regions in our state unite efforts to attract and retain tourist and to bring more tax dollars to Arkansas.
Scott Sudduth will be coordinating and implementation of this program. If your community would like to be included in “Welcome to Arkansas” have your local chamber of commerce, or convention visitor’s bureau contact Scott Sudduth at scott(at)arhospitality.com or by phone at 501-376-2323.
Contact Information
Scott Sudduth - Program Coordinator
“Welcome to Arkansas”
Arkansas Hospitality association
501-563-5155
scott(at)arhospitality.org
Kristine Puckett - Hospitality Training
"Welcome to Arkansas"
Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism
501-682-1676
kristine.puckett(at)arkansas.gov
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Welcome to Arkansas
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