Discover Bella Vista logo and website launched
Discover Bella Vista is officially up and running with a new logo and website, designed to attract visitors to Bella Vista.
The organization — the city’s official advertising and promotion commission — on Monday released its logo and launched the official website, discoverbellavistaar.com. The site offers a modern, scrolling design and includes detailed information on things to do, places to eat and where to stay in Bella Vista, with links to those businesses and organizations, plus maps, videos and vivid photography showcasing the city.
Potential visitors to the city can use the site to find information to help them book their mountain biking, golf or other group outing, plus plan their wedding or find information on local restaurants and events. The site also allows visitors to sign up for latest news and information on upcoming events in the city and region.
The logo was designed to simply depict the unique landscape of the city and the beauty one can discover within its borders. With clean lines and bright colors, the logo illustrates the commission’s goal to appeal to all ages and groups looking to find their next adventure in Bella Vista.
Social media for the organization will soon follow, as an integral part of communicating with those looking to visit the city, said commission chairwoman Paula Sanders, adding commissioners wanted to start with a solid web presence first to provide up-to-date information and trip-planning details.
“The Bella Vista A&P Commission is still in its infancy and is striving to be responsible in its fiduciary duties to the taxpayers,” Sanders said. “We are very excited to have the ability to promote the city in which we live, work, play — or all three — and hope to grow Discover Bella Vista into an accountable organization which, in turn, helps grow tourism in the city.”
Bella Vista is a nature lover’s paradise and is home to world-class mountain biking and championship-level golf courses. With new restaurants, a renovated event facility on Loch Lomond, a vibrant art scene, an active outdoor lifestyle and more, the city has much to offer as a vacation destination. Visitors will find a different kind of vacation in Bella Vista, where they can book a rental home and stay awhile trail side, lakeside or on one of the lush green golf courses.
Tourism is the state of Arkansas’ second most profitable industry behind agriculture, and the Northwest Arkansas region has exploded as one of the premier mountain biking destinations in the U.S. Bella Vista is home to one of the largest natural-surface trail systems in the region, The Back 40, and boasts about 50 miles of multi-use trails. It has also long been known as a golfing destination, with seven courses of varying difficulty, and for its seven man-made lakes for fishing, boating and more.
Increased tourism to the city results in more spending at local businesses and restaurants, which in turn funds both the commission and the city, for an ongoing cycle benefiting both visitors and residents. While the A&P tax is new, the existing sales tax helps fund necessary services in the city, such as road maintenance and emergency services.
“With limited flat land for commercial development in the city, we decided to take advantage of the unique topography to create a trail users’ paradise,” said Bella Vista Mayor Peter Christie. “The trails have already put Bella Vista on the map, and now with the A&P Commission working to promote the entire city; it opens a great opportunity for increased revenue to the city overall.”
The Bella Vista Advertising and Promotion Commission was created by the Bella Vista City Council in April 2017. By state statute, a city’s council members can vote to enact the socalled “hamburger” and “bed” tax on prepared food and lodging stays of less than 30 days. The commission collects a one-percent tax on prepared food and two-percent tax on lodging stays and determines the use of these funds to promote tourism in the city. This can be in the form of advertising and promotion or grants to organizations holding events that are designed to draw visitors from out of the area.
The commission is made up of seven total members — four representatives from tourism-related businesses within city limits, two members of the city council and one resident-at-large. At least three of the four business owners or managers are required by law to be from lodging establishments or restaurants.
Though commissioners are appointed by the city council, the organization operates independently from city government. For information on the commission and its meetings, visit www.discover bellavistaar.com/about/ about-us/.