Justice wants to revamp state tourism efforts

Gov. Jim Justice wants to revamp state efforts to promote tourism, reorganizing the Division of Tourism into a new state Tourism Office, and replacing tourism promotion matching grants with a cooperative advertising program, according to legislation introduced Tuesday.

Legislation (SB 535) introduced Tuesday at the behest of the Justice administration would also encourage public-private partnerships for the promotion and development of tourism enterprises in the state.

Among the powers and duties of the new Tourism Office:

• Develop strategies to expand and diversify the tourism base, including cooperative efforts with local, regional and private tourism enterprises.
• Provide advertising, marketing and communications, including cooperative advertising, to promote tourism.
• Assist in recruiting new tourism-related enterprises to the state, and retaining and expanding existing tourism enterprises.
• Assist in the production of motion pictures, television programs and other communications. Justice, in his budget plan, has proposed eliminating funding for the state Film Office and for film investment tax credits.

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