Think of it as money well spent.
Pine Bluff has not that many places that attract tourists or that attempt to attract them. So it is always a neat little after-Christmas package to open when the Advertising and Promotion Commission reveals the recipients of its annual funding effort.
The A&P folks exist on two sales taxes -- one on restaurants, which everybody contributes to, and one on hotel stays, which, unless you are taking refuge from your family or you lost power at the house or both, is pretty much funded by visitors to the Bluff.
The proceeds of some of that are then given back to those outfits that have something to offer the out-of-town guest.
This year, the recipients were the Arkansas Railroad Museum, which preserves the area's rich railroad history; the Arts and Science Center, which adds so much to the local fabric; the Black Pilots of America's Skyhook event, which is a big attraction; the Delta Rivers Nature Center's wildlife festival; Go Forward Pine Bluff's festivals and events; the Pine Bluff Festival Association's July 4th and Land of Lights and Legends events, both very popular; the Sahara Shrine's circus event; Hestand Stadium; Taylor Field, which is expanding what it offers; and a couple of events associated with UAPB's homecoming, which is likely one of the biggest draws of the year.
The A&P also provides more than $1.1 million for the operation of the Pine Bluff Convention Center. There's a hotel down the road for the Convention Center, and once that's in place, it would be nice to see the Convention Center stand a bit more upright on its own financial feet, there being no excuse at that point for it not to do so.
Speaking of tourism, it's always exciting to see the Delta Rhythm & Bayous Cultural District in the news, well, unless someone is trying to horn in on director Jimmy Cunningham's project. It was announced that the city was adding a position to help with that effort. Maybe that project is really going to happen, giving people another reason to come to town to visit.