Good ideas have a way of seeming really obvious after the fact. And this idea was really good! That’s what CJRW employees said after the announcement of the company’s new Explore Arkansas initiative. Under this innovative plan, every CJRW employee can be reimbursed up to $500 a year for using their personal time to travel in Arkansas. We can spend it on food, events, kayak rentals—anything we want—as long as it’s in The Natural State.
Other than bringing joy and holiday cheer to staff, there’s a good reason for this move. Quick backstory: CJRW has been the agency of record for the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism for more than 40 years. Conveying the beauty and appeal of Arkansas is something we literally do every day. Sometimes, we do so much conveying and communicating that it can be hard to find the time to actually get out and experience the state in person.
The new initiative enables the team to get directly involved in Arkansas tourism from the consumer side. And as much as it’s good for morale, it’s good for Arkansas. First, it makes the state a very attractive destination for employees because…well…it’s free. Second, it’s good for Arkansas because it encourages vacationers to spend their money close to home. And best of all, it makes Arkansas tourism destinations more real to the teams who promote them.
