Section 1-1511.02 - Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1992(Effective October 1, 1992)
Prepared by the Mayor and transmitted to the Council of the District of Columbia, pursuant to the provisions of Section 422(12) of the Charter of the District of Columbia.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA OFFICE OF TOURISM AND PROMOTIONS
I.Establishment The Office of Tourism and Promotions ("Office") is hereby established in the Executive Branch of the Government under the Deputy Mayor for Economic Development (DMED). The Office shall be supervised and administered by a Director who shall be appointed by the Mayor to a position in the Executive Service pursuant to Title X of the District of Columbia Government Comprehensive Merit Personnel Act of 1978, D.C. Law 2-139, effective March 3, 1979, (D.C. Code former sections 1-611.1 - 1.611.2, and subject to the advice and consent of the Council. The Mayor's Special Assistant for Tourism shall be the Acting Director pending confirmation by the Council.II.Purpose The purpose of the Office is to increase revenues generated by tourism and related promotional, leisure and entertainment activities. The Office of Tourism and Promotions will coordinate the economic development efforts of the city in the areas of tourism and conventions and will better serve local firms engaged in the tourism industry by providing a more efficient delivery of public services. The Office coordinates the development of an integrated advertising, marketing and promotional plan for the District which will lead to increased business and leisure travellers to the District. Travellers will be encouraged to patronize Washington business establishments, thereby increasing employment and business opportunities for District residents and businesses. Every effort will be made to stimulate increased opportunities for small, minority and women-owned District-based businesses.
This Office shall also have the responsibility for promoting Washington, D.C., as a venue for film, television and recording production. Promotion of Washington, D.C., as a site for entertainment-related business activities fits neatly with tourism promotion. Out-of-state film, television and record companies need to be "sold" on Washington, D.C.
The monuments and other attractions, affordable hotel and guest accommodations, and neighborhood diversity are all selling points to be emphasized by both the tourism and entertainment functions in District government. These functions will be jointly promoted under the Office of Tourism and Promotions.
III.Organization The Director shall be appointed by the Mayor and shall report to the Deputy Mayor for Economic Development. The Director shall have oversight responsibility for the D.C. Committee to Promote Washington and the Office of Motion Picture and Television Development. The Director shall initially hire two staff persons to carry out the functions of this Office. As need is demonstrated, justified and approved through budget authorization, additional staff may be hired to carry out the functions of the Office of Tourism and Promotions.
IV.FunctionsA.The functions of the Office of Tourism and Promotions shall be to:1. Coordinate and manage all District government activity related to tourism, convention and business travel and related promotional activities;2. Serve as the Mayor's liaison to District agencies on issues affecting tourism and conventions;3. Serve as a liaison to those agencies that affect the development or use of tourism attractions;4. Maintain oversight on the use of Hotel Occupancy Tax ("HOT") dollars by promotional agencies, including the D.C. Committee to Promote Washington, the Washington, D.C. Convention and Visitors Association, the D.C. Chamber of Commerce and the Washington Convention Center;5. Serve as liaison between government and the aforementioned agency recipients of HOT funds;6. Insure that the Mayor's priorities relating to tourism and convention activities are conveyed to interested organizations and citizens;7. Serve as the representative of the Mayor for tourism, promotion and convention related functions;8. Arrange meetings, workshops, conferences and receptions to achieve the goals outlined in Section 2. above;9. Encourage and assist in the coordination of activities that promote or create attractions in the District for the tourist or business traveller; and10. Work to stimulate employment and economic development activities through tourism, entertainment and convention enterprises.B.All functions heretofore performed by the Mayor's Special Assistant for Tourism are transferred to the Office of Tourism and Promotions.V.Transfers All positions, property, records and unexpended balances of appropriations, allocation, and other funds available or to be made available relating to the duties and functions assigned herein are transferred to the Office of Tourism and Promotions. This includes all positions, budget and other available resources currently held in the Office of Business and Economic Development and allocated to the Office of Motion Picture and Television Development and to the D.C. Committee to Promote Washington.VI.Abolishment The position of Mayor's Special Assistant for Tourism is abolished.VII.Effective Date This Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1992 shall become effective on October 1, 1992, following Council review, in accordance with Section 422(12) of P.L. 93-198.