The annual Henry Awards Banquet took place on Tuesday (March 11) during the 40th annual Arkansas Governor’s Conference on Tourism. The conference was March 9-11 in Rogers.
Highlighting the awards ceremony was the naming of Alice Walton of Bentonville as the Tourism Person of the Year. Also during the ceremonies, Ernest and Cathy Cunningham of Helena-West Helena were inducted into the Tourism Hall of Fame.
The other Henry Award recipients for 2013 include:
• Media Support Award: Paula Morell, North Little Rock
• Bootstrap Award: Miller’s Mud Mill, Dumas
• Arkansas Heritage Award: Arkansas Historic Preservation Program
• Grand Old Classic Special Event Award: Frisco Festival, Rogers
• Outstanding Volunteer Service Award: Twyla Gill Wright, Batesville
• Community Tourism Development Award: Fort Smith Convention and Visitors Bureau
• The Natural State Award: Grant County Museum, Sheridan
• Tourism Special Achievement Award: Andy Thomas, Russellville
The Henry Awards honor individuals and organizations which have made important contributions to the state’s tourism industry in the preceding year.
The Henry Awards have been a feature of the annual Arkansas Governor’s Conference on Tourism since their debut in 1981. The awards are named for Henri de Tonti, founder of Arkansas Post in 1686 and who is often hailed as the first “Arkansas Traveler.”