§1255. Powers, duties, functions, and responsibilities of the office

The office shall have the following powers, duties, functions, and responsibilities:

(1) Promote and assist expansion of tourism and the tourism industry in Louisiana.

(2) Encourage employment opportunities for all citizens throughout the state through the orderly but accelerated development of facilities for tourism, travel, and hospitality.

(3) Invite visitors from this nation and foreign countries to visit Louisiana.

(4) Conduct an ongoing promotional campaign of information, advertising, and publicity to create and sustain an image and understanding of Louisiana that is responsible and accurate, to include the following:

(a) Development of a program to entice, educate, and facilitate the visitor concerning the state's history, culture, folklore, recreational and leisure opportunities, natural and scenic resources, transportation, cuisine, sites, accommodations, events and attractions.

(b) Disseminating information and publicity to the media, including newspapers, magazines, billboards, radio, television, and film, by the use of audio-visual presentations, features, publications, paid advertisements, and such other means as necessary.

(c) Preparing and distributing literature on and about Louisiana, its history, culture, recreation, folklife, attractions, art, leisure opportunities, natural and scenic resources, cuisine, sites, events, accommodations, and transportation for agencies of the department and for other agencies and groups requesting it.

(d) Selecting and using an appropriate theme about Louisiana for a unified and comprehensive promotions program.

(5) Hold and sponsor seminars, meetings, and an annual conference designed to involve and educate the public and travel industry of the purposes and programs of the office, for which a reasonable fee may be charged.

(6) Conduct familiarization tours for travel industry representatives, writers, editors, and motor coach and tour operators to acquaint them with Louisiana and to provide them with factual information, photographs, and contacts within the office to assist these industry representatives on such tours.

(7) Make and enter into contracts to provide the office with stipulated services for promotions, advertising, publicity, research, marketing, or evaluation, and to license a logo and theme for use on promotional items offered for sale by the private sector.

(8) Cooperate with all governmental agencies, tourists, promotion agencies, private industry, and private nonprofit associations and organizations in the promotion, advertising, and publicity of the state, including cooperative advertising, formation of local promotion groups, and other activities necessary and proper consistent with the provisions of this Subpart.

(9) Manage and coordinate the functions and activities of welcome centers in the state.

(10) Submit the reports as required by R.S. 51:1260.

(11) Formulate, implement, and evaluate a master plan for tourism marketing as further stipulated in R.S. 51:1261.

(12) Identify all federal programs related to tourism and make recommendations on such programs for the benefit of the state, on a timely basis to the Congress or appropriate federal agency or official.

(13) Assist and submit recommendations to other state departments and agencies in providing facilities and services that will promote and facilitate the safe and convenient travel of visitors throughout the state.

(14) Develop and test data on numbers of visitors, expenditures by visitors, points of origin and destination, and other relevant information on tourism and visitors.

(15) Join trade associations, organizations, and councils chartered to develop and stimulate tourism, and attend meetings, seminars, conferences, and conventions to promote travel to and in Louisiana.

(16) Provide advice and technical assistance to regional, parochial, and municipal tourism development organizations and to similar private organizations in planning programs to attract visitors and develop literature for distribution to visitors and potential visitors to this state.

(17) Provide basic support and discretionary grants, commonly referred to as Act 455 funds, to local tourist promotion agencies for travel development, marketing, promotion, and advertising, upon the approval of the commission.

(18) Expend funds in accordance with the terms and conditions of any grant, donation, or gift and in accordance with law.

(19) Develop an understanding among citizens of the state of the role, importance, economic impact, and challenges of tourism in Louisiana.

(20) Adopt and promulgate rules and regulations, as deemed necessary by the secretary of the department, to effectuate the provisions of this Section, all in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act.

Added by Acts 1983, No. 688, §4; Acts 2001, No. 1191, §1.