HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE -- The Rotary Club of Hot Springs Village recently welcomed Joe David Rice, director of the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, as guest speaker.
Rice has been the state's tourism director since 1987, managing a 65-person team to enhance the image of Arkansas and bring more visitors to the state.
According to a news release, he asked HSV Rotarians to imagine Arkansas as a theme park, saying, "The three things that ensure a theme park's success are to be clean and safe, to offer new attractions, and to have the proper promotion that entices people to visit. Arkansas has all three."
Rice focused on some of the newer attractions in the state, especially those that center around its natural beauty. Bicyclists and motorcyclists bring hundreds of millions of dollars in economic benefits to the state, according to a Parks and Tourism report. Arkansas also boasts outstanding mountain bike trails, as noted by the International Mountain Bicycling Association.
Arkansas' popularity as a mountain biking destination led to its selection as host of the IMBA conference in November. Rotarian and avid mountain biker Tim Culbreth, Teen Challenge of Arkansas director, underscored the popularity of mountain biking in the Hot Springs area.
Membership in HSV Rotary Club is open to all, and guests are always welcome to attend weekly meetings, held at 7 a.m. Thursdays in the Fireside Dining Room of the Good Samaritan Society, 121 Cortez Road.
Local on 10/28/2016