Press Releases

Chuck Haralson, former chief photographer for the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, and author Ken Smith were inducted into the Arkansas Tourism Hall of Fame today during a luncheon at the 43rd annual Governor’s Conference on Tourism in Little Rock.

Arkansas is home to more than 600,000 acres of lakes. Among these are five in Southwest Arkansas collectively known as the Diamond Lakes. These are Lake Ouachita and Lake Hamilton at Hot Springs, Lake Catherine near Malvern, DeGray Lake at Arkadelphia and Lake Greeson between Glenwood and Murfreesboro. Arkansas angler and fishing expert Billy Murray has extensive knowledge of these waters. The Hot Springs native, who was recently inducted into the National Bass Fishing Hall of Fame, started his career over 50 years ago as a fishing guide at Lake Ouachita. He enjoys fishing all of the lakes of the state, including the Diamond Lakes.

In the wake of the second major rainstorm to drench Catalina Island in less than 30 days, Southern California Edison has announced that the island’s customers will return to Stage 1 Mandatory Water Conservation. The same water-use restrictions facing the rest of Southern California will remain in place. But Catalina residents and business owners, who have lived with mandated water reductions for nearly 2 1/2 years, will no longer have their water use rationed.

CatalinaTours.com expands services; offers additional transportation booking options

Getting to Catalina Island just got easier. Catalina Tours, the premier reservation service for the Island, has recently expanded its services to book additional transportation options to Catalina. Thanks to the company’s partnership with Catalina Passenger Service and Island Express Helicopter Services, Catalina Tours now offers both flights to Catalina and another option for ferry transportation to the island.

Oxnard’s golden beaches, attractions, majestic offshore Islands, picturesque Channel Islands Harbor its diverse restaurants and more will be featured on Family Travel with Colleen Kelly, a popular national public television series scheduled to film at the end of March.

On May 4th, 2007, 95% of Greensburg, Kansas was destroyed by an EF5 tornado. But this is not what defines them. Greensburg has rebuilt as one of the greenest cities in the United States. They have been featured as one of Budget Travel’s 2011 Coolest Small Towns in America, seen in 2013 USA Today’s Sustainability magazine, and appeared on TV in Planet Green’s series, Greensburg.

The Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau (GLCVB) held its annual meeting today and announced both good news for the local economy and recognized numerous individuals with awards for vision, dedication and loyalty throughout the year.

Brant Collins has been named the Group Travel Manager for the Tourism Division of the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism. An Arkansan since early childhood, Collins grew up in Dover (Pope County). After service in the U.S. Navy, Collins returned to Arkansas to attend Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, earning a degree in fine arts while pursuing television journalism on the side. After graduation, he worked as a college recruiter, eventually moving into broadcast journalism; in 2008, he started his own advertising agency, which he and his wife have run successfully for nearly a decade. “Mr. Collins comes to the Tourism Division with a great deal of related and valuable experience,” said Joe David Rice, Tourism Director for the ADPT. “He’s absolutely committed to the growth of Arkansas’s tourism industry.”