For hotel owner Shash Goyal, hospitality is business. But, it's also personal.
"Hospitality means to me serving," Goyal says. "You will treat people the way you want to be treated. I think we in Arkansas are doing a great job in that."
Goyal has experienced Arkansas hospitality as a newcomer. Now, through his work as a hotel owner and as a volunteer on the Arkansas Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission, he's helping make sure that tradition continues.
Goyal was born and reared in India, where his father is an orthopedic surgeon and his mother is a homemaker. He came to the United States in 2000 as a student, then returned home in 2005. After he got married, he came back to the United States looking for business opportunities.
At first, it looked like that would be in North Carolina, where he tried to buy a hotel. The sale fell apart at the last minute. Then a friend pointed out an opportunity in Stuttgart.
It would be a "big shock" for the Goyals, moving from the big city to a much smaller, more rural town, but they were expecting their first child with no other prospects on the horizon.
"We said, 'You know what? We can have all the flashy stuff of a big city but if we cannot make a good living for our family, it's useless.'"
They bought the Best Western Duck Inn and made the move to Arkansas. And promptly fell in love.
The family, which includes a 9-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter, moved to Little Rock in 2010.
Now, he's the CEO of I Square Management, which owns hotels in Arkansas and Tennessee, including Little Rock's Crowne Plaza. But he still keeps a small place in Stuttgart.
"My grandfather always told me that you should never forget where you come from," he explains.
He has been on the Arkansas Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission since 2012, serving as chairman in 2017.
The commission meets once a month to discuss what's going on with the Department of Parks and Tourism, to make sure the state is being promoted well and run smoothly. Its members are from the tourism industry, media and from around the state, all providing different perspectives.
It plays, Goyal says, a vitally important role in a state where tourism is one of the largest industries. Besides, he points out, tourism is a "gateway" for business.
In some circles, Arkansas has a reputation for being too rural, too backward, too unsophisticated. Goyal heard those rumors before he came.
Friends and colleagues were initially skeptical about the family's move.
"People told us, 'Oh, you are moving to Arkansas.' They have those stereotypes," Goyal says. "But I don't think I've seen any of that. It's false presumption. [Arkansas] is not what I heard. It's an eye-opening thing."
Bringing people in as tourists is an easy and effective way to combat any negative stereotypes.
"People are coming here. They have that stereotype and then when they come here they get that 'Wow' effect. We offer so much."
March 11-14 will bring the 44th Governor's Conference on Tourism, an annual gathering of tourism and hospitality professionals that shows just how much Arkansas has to offer.
"It's about bringing the whole tourism industry of Arkansas together and updating them about what's going on in the state. How we can promote more."
The commission and the Department of Parks and Tourism let the attendees know how the state is being promoted, what the commission is doing, the resources at their disposal and how they can help promote tourism.
This year's conference is in West Memphis and attendees will get a chance to visit the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home and other attractions in between information sessions, receptions and speeches.
Goyal and his family have spent the last years exploring the state, particularly the state parks.
"Me and my family, we are outdoor people," he says. So, they particularly enjoy places such as Mount Magazine State Park, Queen Wilhelmina State Park, Petit Jean Mountain State Park and frequent visits to climb Pinnacle Mountain. They also love canoeing the Buffalo River and visiting Crystal Bridges, or taking a drive up to Eureka Springs.
Goyal sees Arkansas' outdoor offerings and Natural State nickname as big pluses as nature-based vacations seem to be on the rise.
"I think that is the new tourism trend now," he says. "Everybody wants to explore nature."
He says that Arkansas has the second-highest number of epic mountain bike trails -- California is first -- that are starting to draw people in. Then there's all the history and museums.
"When I moved here, people were like, 'Where is Arkansas?' But when you come here, you feel there's so much."
One way to help the state, Goyal says, is to travel within its borders.
"I encourage everybody to have a vacation once a year, to make a family vacation in the state of Arkansas."
People who travel outside the state also have the opportunity to spread the news of the state's more positive side.
"Whoever goes outside the state becomes an ambassador for the state of Arkansas."
Goyal says it's something he has made a habit of doing whenever he travels nationally and internationally.
"We have told people, 'What you are saying is wrong,'" he says. "I don't think there can be a better example not only from out of state but immigrating here and getting welcomed with open arms. Allowing me to grow my family, grow my business, as well as getting honored to be appointed on a board. Look at what the state of Arkansas has given me. Diversity is what we're promoting here."
High Profile on 02/25/2018