DUMAS -- Thousands of tourists stream through this southeast Arkansas Delta town of about 4,700 people this time of year, traveling U.S. 65.
Some travelers stop at Big Banjo Pizza for a bite or fill up on gas and fountain drinks at the Exxon. Other visitors spend a night at the Days Inn before hitting the road again.
But Dumas civic and business leaders are searching for a way to get those passers-by to stop longer and explore the Dumas area and the rest of the Arkansas Delta year-round.
"I think [tourism] is very important," said Michael Jones, president of Merchants and Farmers Bank of Dumas and a member of the Dumas Chamber of Commerce. "Dumas is one of the little towns in the Delta that has had wonderful success in attracting industry, starting back in the '50s, certainly through the '60s and '70s. Then it began [to leave].
"As we've lost those jobs, we've got to find substitutes. Focus on small businesses, but also focus on tourism, which usually begins with a small business."
Promoting tourism in the area is why Jones and other Dumas leaders gathered Friday morning at the Dumas Community Center to hear a presentation on the Mississippi River National Geographic Geotourism Project.
The project is seeking community input for a website set for an unveiling in June that promotes geotourism in the Arkansas Delta and along the Mississippi River. Geotourism is a form of tourism that sustains or boosts the geographical character of a place by highlighting natural, cultural and historic sites along with attractions and tourism businesses.
The project is designed to inspire people to look at the Mississippi River as a brand and a tourist destination, said James Dion, director of Tourism Programs for National Geographic Maps.
"What I find is there is enthusiasm for people to want to be able to better maintain and sustain their communities," Dion said. "Tourism is one of those ways in which you can help to rebuild these communities. I think that's where the thirst for this opportunity comes from. Tourism isn't the only answer, but it can be part of the solution."
Between Tuesday and Friday, Dion traveled the length of the Arkansas Delta, holding 11 public meetings from Paragould to Lake Village to introduce the project to residents.
Joining Dion for the presentations was Terry Eastin, a spokesman for the Mississippi River Connections Collaborative, an informal network of local, state and nonprofit organizations that promote the Mississippi River as a national treasure.
The geotourism project is a joint effort of the collaborative and the National Geographic Society.
"This program is for local communities and local businesses ... to tell their stories," Eastin said.
Northern regions already are featured on the website, and the nomination process in Arkansas is now open, Dion said. Locals are able to nominate their favorite sites, attractions and businesses through the project's website at mississippiriver.natgeotourism.com.
The interactive website covers an area one county wide on either side of the river from its headwaters in Minnesota to Cairo, Ill. From Cairo on south, the website is expanded to include the entire Delta region.
The website's development is overseen by a regional committee, but the success of the project depends on the public's input, Dion said. Public input keeps the overhead of the website low, he said. The website is partly funded through a $300,000 grant from the Delta Regional Authority.
When finished, the Mississippi River geotourism website will join one of several already published, including websites covering the Gulf Coast, Central Cascades, Greater Yellowstone and elsewhere. The websites evolve over time as more sites and attractions are added.
The impact of a website backed by the National Geographic Society to promote geotourism throughout the Delta wasn't lost on the Dumas group.
"What's good for the region is good for all of us," said Lynn Weatherford, a Desha County justice of the peace and manager of the Dumas Community Center. "We got a lot to show."
State Desk on 07/18/2015