Visitor Center asks residents to ‘Discover Fayetteville’
Posted on Saturday, May 10, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/News/65037/
The Fayetteville Visitor Center will showcase a slew of local attractions today in honor of National Tourism Week.
“ With gas prices being so high, a lot of people can’t afford to vacation, ” said Allyson Twiggs, director of the Fayetteville Visitors Bureau. “ That’s why we’re encouraging them to stay home this summer and ‘ Discover Fayetteville. ’ ”
Located at 21 S. Block St., the Fayetteville Visitor Center will also host representatives from several local attractions at today’s event, including: Clinton House Museum, Headquarters House, Arkansas Air Museum, Fayetteville Public Library, Mount Sequoyah Retreat Center, Botanical Garden of the Ozark, Terra Studios, and Fayetteville Parks and Recreation.
Twiggs said representatives will be present from 9 a. m. to 1 p. m. to provide information and answer questions regarding local attractions.
“ Tourism is very impor- tant for our area, ” she said, “ especially for hotels and restaurants. That’s why we’re encouraging local residents to not only ‘ Discover Fayetteville, ’ but to tell other people about it. After all, they’re the ones who know this area the best. ”
In addition to today’s “ Discover Fayetteville, ” event, the Visitor Center hosted an open house on Friday, as part of its kick-off for National Tourism Week. The center is holding a children’s coloring contest and gift basket drawing.
Twiggs said this event marks the center’s first National Tourism Week celebration. The commemoration, she said, will likely become an annual tradition.
“ The Visitor Center will have been here for six years in July, ” Twiggs said. “ During that time, I’ve definitely seen a lot more tourism for our area. We seem to attract more and more people every year. ”
Formerly located within the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce, the Visitor Center has more than doubled in size since its inception in 2002. The facility transferred to its current location in mid-2007. In addition to a wall-sized map of the area and a gift shop filled with local memorabilia, the facility offers an 80-page visitor’s guide for out-of-town guests and local residents. The booklet highlights information about area dining and local entertainment, among other attractions.
“ If you have out-of-town guests, this is the place to come, ” Twiggs said.
For more information, visit experiencefayetteville. com.