Bonafide baby boomer Joe David Rice came into this crazy world on Feb. 18, 1952, in Paragould, Greene County, in rural Arkansas; approximate population 9,700. In that same year there was a conflict in Korea, 3,300 people died and 57,000 children were paralyzed by polio, and a live atomic bomb test site in Nevada was shown on television.
Rice’s parents must have believed their glass was half full to bring their first child into such times. But despite everything the conflict in Korea hit a stalemate, Jonas Salk came up with a polio vaccine in 1952, and instead of showing more atomic bomb tests on television, the first reality program, “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet,” gave Americans permission to live their lives.
Rice’s parents and his two sisters moved about a bit, to Melbourne and to Jonesboro (where he spent his formative years) and finally to Little Rock where he graduated from McClellan High School in 1970. Like most college bound baby boomers, he graduated from the University of Arkansas in four years. He added to his résumé a Master’s Degree in environmental planning from the University of Illinois.
His first “real” job was with the West Central Arkansas Planning & Development District in Hot Springs, and then moved to Little Rock in 1978 to work for the Arkansas Department of Local Services. In 1980 he transferred to the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism. After starting out in the State Parks Division where he worked on such projects as the Arkansas Wilderness Act of 1983 and the Cossatot River State Park/Natural Area, he moved over to the Tourism Division.
Twenty-three years ago (1987) he was promoted to tourism director. And he hasn’t wiped the grin off his face ever since. “I think I probably have the best job in Arkansas,” he said recently.
“There’s a lot to love about this state. Both my parents are native Arkansans so my roots go pretty deep – and family ties are important. I can’t think of a better place to raise a family. I’m very glad my sons were born here.
“One of the best things about this state is its people. Arkansans are a proud, resourceful, and independent lot, but at the same time we’re warm and welcoming and eager to share the state with our visitors.” Arkansas is also where Rice met his fiancée, Tracey Wilson. The happy couple got engaged right before we went to press with this story!
“I also love our history and heritage,” he said. “Places like the Old State House, Little Rock Central High, Historic Arkansas Museum, Bathhouse Row, the Hemingway-Pfeiffer House, Lakeport Plantation, Historic Washington, and many others.
“And, of course, I’m partial to our diverse landscapes. I’ve spent quite a bit of time in eastern Arkansas this (past) spring and I’m always fascinated by those levees meandering across the rice fields. I’m also a big fan of swamps and saw my first Arkansas alligator last year at Arkansas Post. I more or less grew up on Lake Norfork so the Ozarks remain very special,” he stated.
“When I need a break, Newton County is often my destination,” he said. “Whitaker Point, Lost Valley, Big Bluff, Steel Creek, the Ponca Wilderness, and similar places help recharge my batteries.”
Rice sees the potential of baby boomers, especially those beyond our borders.
“Many of them are – or will soon become – empty-nesters, plus they have the time and resources to travel,” he said. “So they are a logical target, not only for tourism, but eventually relocating to Arkansas. When retirees move to the state, they bring their time, talents, and trust funds to Arkansas and immediately contribute to our prosperity.”
“Our first-time visitors are invariably surprised by what Arkansas has to offer. While some may have heard about our scenery, they’re often unaware of our history and heritage. Many are also pleasantly surprised by the quality and variety of the state’s restaurants. Plus, the local hospitality always blows them away,” he added.
According to Rice tourism’s a big player in Arkansas’s economy. Last year, for instance, he said, we hosted 22.8 million visitors – not bad for a state of 2.8 million residents. “Our guests spent $5.4 billion, and that includes over $280 million in state taxes. In other words, Arkansas’s travelers sent $100 into the state treasury for each and every one of us. So a family of four had its tax burden reduced by $400 because of our volume of tourists,” said Rice. “By bringing in more travelers for longer stays, we’re creating jobs and contributing to growth in Arkansas’s general revenues. These tax dollars, in turn, are invested in our public educational programs and other important state services,” he continued.
“We don’t have any current figures on in-state vs. out-of-state vacationers for Arkansas, but we do know the state enjoys a very favorable ‘balance of trade’ when it comes to tourism. In short, we have far more folks from Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Louisiana, and other states visiting here than we have Arkansans vacationing beyond our borders.”
Rice says we could always do a better job attracting tourists from other states, yet we can only do so much with the funds we have. For instance, Chicago and Houston have the potential to be huge markets for Arkansas. But to effectively advertise The Natural State in either one would probably cost $5 million a year. “That’s money we just don’t have,” he says. Instead of wishing for more money to appear he works for it in every way he can. And he isn’t alone.
“Not only do we have a great team in the Department, I have the chance to work with superb folks across all of Arkansas. We have a first-class Commission of 15 fine individuals and the members of the Arkansas Hospitality Association are a very good group. Likewise, Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods and Aristotle both have many talented and devoted professionals assigned to our account. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that Richard Davies (Director of Parks and Tourism) is the best boss anybody could ask for,” Rice said.
He knows it may sound strange, but there’s no getting around the fact that politics is a part of this job – and that keeps it interesting. “I’ve had the privilege of working under four governors – Bill Clinton, Jim Guy Tucker, Mike Huckabee, and Mike Beebe – and with dozens of legislators. We’ve convinced them of tourism’s importance and they’ve provided the resources to make Arkansas much more competitive. Working together, we’ve passed several important pieces of legislation which have made a big difference in our success,” he says.
“When I first got this job, our promotional efforts were fairly primitive. We relied on coupons, an in-house telemarketing arrangement (I hate to use the word “system” to describe our patchwork collection of telephones and recorders), and an extremely modest advertising budget. Over the years we’ve acquired a memorable toll-free telephone number (1-800-NATURAL), built a nationally recognized web site (www.Arkansas.com), and continue to embrace technological advances. We were the first state to have an IMAX film, the first state to incorporate QR Codes in advertising, and one of the first to offer special ‘apps’ for smart phone users,” he says proudly.
“We’ve invested a good deal of the state’s money over the years in our research & marketing campaigns – and it’s satisfying to see that our efforts have paid off and will continue to do so.”
Lest you think the tourism director sits behind a desk all day, you’d be wrong. Rice says it seems like he’s doing something different – and interesting – every day.
“Sure, there are the usual budget and personnel matters that aren’t real high on my list, “ he jokes, “but they’re more than offset by things like: interviewing Ted Danson, scouting shot locations by helicopter, hosting a national conference here in Little Rock, introducing a visiting writer to the state, having breakfast with John Q. Hammons, approving copy for our TV commercials, viewing focus group sessions, assisting in the ribbon-cutting of a new attraction, presenting a certificate of appreciation to Emeril Lagasse, welcoming Dr. Ralph Stanley to the state, helping plan the grand opening of the new Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, writing a promotional blurb for a novel based in Arkansas, and so on. No two days are alike.”
And sure, there are some mundane things that have to be done, but Rice gets the chance to be creative, the kind of thing that stokes the fire within. “I’ve written several articles which have been published, some of my photographs have appeared in major newspapers, and I’ve been involved in the production of a couple of books for the Department, “ he says.
Sounds like fun, but surely Rice must have a few bad days every now and then. “I’m not sure there is a ‘worst thing’ about the job,” he says. “I guess one of the frustrations is that we have so many ‘untapped markets’ – places where we’ve never had the resources to promote Arkansas – but our budget can only go so far.
“And I get a little put out when Arkansans fail to appreciate our own treasures.”