Arkansas’ tourism giants | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

In last Sunday’s column, I wrote about a 1996 boat trip that Gov. Mike Huckabee took on the Arkansas River from Fort Smith to the mouth of the river in far southeast Arkansas. The multiday excursion was meant to draw attention to a proposed constitutional amendment to boost tourism and quality-of-life-amenities. It passed narrowly that November and is now Amendment 75 to the Arkansas Constitution.

The one-eighth of a cent sales tax is among the most important amendments Arkansas voters have ever approved. Proceeds from the tax have given us the finest system of state parks in America, abundant hunting and fishing opportunities, and a booming tourism industry. Writing about the boat trip made me think about the many Arkansans I’ve…