COVER Test Could Help With Your Spring Break Plans

Haven’t booked your spring break vacation in Arkansas yet? Here’s a way you can find lodging at your destination and help out an important program at the same time.

COVER – an acronym for Communication of Vacancies Emergency Response – was inspired by the influx of evacuees into Arkansas following Hurricane Katrina. During that catastrophe, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates 1.1 million people over the age of 16 were forced to evacuate their homes. Many of those who fled Louisiana and Mississippi came into Arkansas – and drove past available accommodations while searching out a place to stay. The result? Properties on major thoroughfares were packed while lodging operators located on secondary roads still had ample availability.

COVER was developed with these travelers in mind. In the case of a mass evacuation in any surrounding state, COVER will be activated. Lodging managers will be able to enter the rooms they have available into the website, and travelers can log on and find those rooms within a 160 mile radius of their location. These emergency visitors to Arkansas will also be able to enter their email address or cell phone number and receive messages along their route with lodging updates. At the same time, Twitter updates will be available at www.twitter.com/COVER and with the hashtag #ARKCOVER. COVER access is also available at the state’s Welcome Centers, where attendants can help locate nearby available accommodations.

But how can that help you with your spring break plans? From time to time, COVER should be tested. The Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism has determined different testing dates throughout the year to take advantage of high travel times – and spring break is one of those times. Starting Thursday, March 15th at 9 a.m. and running through Monday, March 26th at 9 a.m., consumers can test the system and potentially earn a good deal. Our travel industry partners will offer available hotel rooms via the COVER program… all just a click away. You can participate by logging into www.arkansas.com/COVER, selecting the area where you’re planning to travel and choosing the lodging you’re interested in.

By choosing to book through COVER, you’ll find accommodations that have vacancies right now – and you’ll help test an important system in the unfortunate occurrence of an evacuation outside our borders.

For more information, check out the www.arkansas.com/COVER site or contact Kat Robinson, communications manager at kat.robinson@arkansas.gov or (501) 682-7606.