New edition of Relocation and Tourism Guide debuts

By Rick Kennedy, managing editor
Available in Hope and Hempstead County now, the 2019 edition of the Hope and Hempstead County Relocation and Tourism Guide is being distributed at the Hope/Hempstead Chamber of Commerce office in downtown Hope, and it brings 24-pages of updated and useful information for both relocation prospects and visiting tourists to Hope and Hempstead County.
Produced in collaboration with the chamber, Chamber Director Beckie Moore said, “The chamber appreciates SWARK Today for printing and publishing the Relocation & Tourism Guide.”
Moore called the publication “an informative magazine/guide filled with much-needed information for those who are relocating to our area.”
Moore also said, “We receive requests from tourists who like the guide in hand as they put plans in motion to visit Southwest Arkansas. We also receive requests from committees that are planning class reunions. The AR Welcome Center distributes thousands of Relocation and Tourism guides each year.”
The original “Hope Relocation Guide” was a legacy publication for many years of the Hope Star newspaper, which has been distributed for years by the Chamber of Commerce. The publication was rebranded, revised and reinvented as the “Relocation and Tourism Guide” this year as SWARK Today picked up the torch to continue producing the guide in the aftermath of the Hope Star’s closure in September 2018.
SWARK Today President Jim Hawley said, “It was a pleasure teaming up with the Hope Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Commission to produce the 2019 Relocation and Tourism Guide. We spent several hours collaborating and making sure we had information that would be useful for someone wanting to relocate to our great community or just visiting for a short time.”
Several new additions to the guide included lists of area medical providers, home rental companies, and city government profile. Extensive updates were made to area church listings and restaurants among other features.
Hawley said, “As we took on this endeavor, I asked the question of ‘What can we do to make the guide better than in years past?’ I am very proud of the finished product and even more proud of my team that worked diligently to produce a magazine that we can all be proud to share.”
Gracing the cover of the 2019 Welcome to Hempstead County Relocation and Tourism Guide is the county’s official beauty queen and hostess, Miss Hempstead County Bailey Adalyn Yocom. Yocom is well-known the area as a Spring Hill High School graduate and all-star athlete. She is the daughter of Jody and Bren Yocom, and she is currently a junior pursuing a bachelor of Nursing degree at Southern Arkansas University.