GENERAL PROVISIONS
SUBCHAPTER II
TOURISM PROMOTION
41.12 Council on tourism.
41.17 Joint effort marketing.
41.19 Heritage tourism program.
41.21 Marketing clearinghouse.
41.23 Sale of excess or surplus property.
SUBCHAPTER III
KICKAPOO VALLEY RESERVE
41.40 Kickapoo land acquisition; reserve designation.
41.41 Kickapoo valley reserve.
GENERAL PROVISIONS
41.01
41.01
Definitions. In this chapter:
41.01(1)
(1) "Department" means the department of tourism.
41.01(2)
(2) "Secretary" means the secretary of tourism.
41.01 History
History: 1995 a. 27.
TOURISM PROMOTION
41.11(1)(1)
General Duties. The department shall:
41.11(1)(a)
(a) Stimulate, promote, advertise and publicize tourism to the state by those who live in other states and foreign countries.
41.11(1)(b)
(b) Promote travel by citizens of this state to this state's scenic, historic, natural, agricultural, educational and recreational attractions.
41.11(1)(c)
(c) Create an accurate national and international image of the state.
41.11(1)(d)
(d) Encourage all tourism-related businesses to participate in available education programs.
41.11(1)(e)
(e) Encourage and cooperate with communities, groups and individuals in the state in pursuing the tourism promotion objectives of the department.
41.11(1)(f)
(f) Coordinate and stimulate the orderly and ecologically sound development of commercial tourist facilities throughout the state.
41.11(1)(g)
(g) Promote the growth of the tourism and recreation industry through research, planning and assistance.
41.11(1)(h)
(h) Annually report to the senate natural resources committee and the assembly committee on tourism the activities, receipts and disbursements of the division of tourism for the previous fiscal year.
41.11(2)
(2) Sales. The secretary shall annually formulate, in consultation with the 5 members of the council on tourism selected under
s. 41.12, a statewide marketing strategy, which is a plan for marketing and promotion of the facilities and attractions of the state for the ensuing year. The department shall implement the plan. The department shall cooperate with the commercial recreation industry to assure coordination with private plans and programs, and may assist in the development and marketing of combined recreational opportunities such as package tours, convention and trade show facilities and special transportation arrangements.
41.11(3)
(3) Services. The department shall assist the consumers and the suppliers of recreational opportunities in the state. The department may:
41.11(3)(a)
(a) Collect and disseminate information as to the facilities, advantages and attractions of the state, including historic, scenic and other points of interest.
41.11(3)(b)
(b) Provide timely information regarding weather, transportation facilities, hunting, fishing, boating, motoring, snowmobiling and skiing conditions and other subjects of interest to those seeking recreational opportunities in the state.
41.11(3)(c)
(c) Establish, manage and operate permanent or temporary tourist information centers along major highways into the state.
41.11(3)(d)
(d) Provide advice and service to persons or groups engaged in the recreation industry.
41.11(3)(e)
(e) Conduct research into the status and needs of the recreation industry.
41.11(3)(f)
(f) Operate a reservations service for recreational facilities in the state.
41.11(3)(g)
(g) Provide planning and coordinating assistance to tour operators, convention and trade show managers.
41.11(4)
(4) Advertising. The department shall plan and conduct a program of advertising and promotion designed to attract interested persons to this state and to stimulate the enjoyment of its recreational opportunities by residents and nonresidents alike. Any contracts engaging a private agency to conduct an advertising or promotion program under this subsection shall reserve to the department the right to terminate the contract if the service is unsatisfactory to the department. The department shall encourage and coordinate the efforts of public and private organizations to publicize the facilities and attractions of the state for the purpose of stimulating their enjoyment by residents and tourists.
41.11(4m)
(4m) Access to customer information; fees. 41.11(4m)(a)(a) Notwithstanding
s. 19.35, the department may refuse to reveal names, addresses and related demographic information maintained on any list that the department has compiled of persons who have requested information about travel opportunities in the state. The department may not refuse to reveal such information to representatives of the news media.
41.11(4m)(b)
(b) Notwithstanding
s. 19.71, if the department provides information from a list of persons requesting travel information, the department may charge the person requesting the information a fee to recover the department's actual costs of compiling and providing the information. The department may reduce or waive the fee under this subsection if the department determines that the reduction or waiver is in the public interest.
41.11(5)(a)(a) The department shall distribute cheese that was donated, or purchased from donations received under
par. (c), free of charge to the public each year from the 2nd to last Monday in May to the first Monday in September at each tourist information center operated by the department in this state except the tourist information center located in Madison.
41.11(5)(b)
(b) Cheese distributed under
par. (a) shall be in packages of one ounce or less and shall be manufactured in Wisconsin.
41.11(5)(c)
(c) The department shall accept cheese, and refrigeration equipment and gifts, grants, bequests and devises, for the purpose of implementing this subsection. If there is an insufficient amount of cheese available to implement this subsection, the department shall contact potential donors for donations. The department shall return any surplus cheese to the donor.
41.11 History
History: 1975 c. 39,
163,
200;
1983 a. 92;
1987 a. 1;
1995 a. 27 s.
6918; Stats. 1995 s. 41.11;
1999 a. 9.
41.12
41.12
Council on tourism. 41.12(1)(1) The council on tourism shall advise the secretary on matters relating to tourism. Five members of the council on tourism shall assist the secretary in formulating a statewide marketing strategy. The 5 members shall be selected by a vote of the council on tourism from among the members, other than ex officio members, of the council on tourism.
41.12(2)
(2) The council on tourism shall develop a plan to assist and encourage private companies located in this state to promote this state in their advertisements. Upon the adoption of a plan by the council on tourism, the secretary shall consider implementing the plan.
41.12(3)
(3) The council on tourism shall consider the use of famous residents and former residents of this state in the tourism marketing strategies.
41.12 History
History: 1987 a. 1;
1995 a. 27 s.
6919; Stats. 1995 s. 41.12.
41.14
41.14
Offices. The department may establish tourism offices, within or without the state, as necessary to carry out its duties. Wisconsin residency may not be required of classified employees staffing tourism offices located outside the state.
41.14 History
History: 1975 c. 39,
163,
200;
1995 a. 27 s.
6920; Stats. 1995 s. 41.14.
41.15
41.15
Film promotion. 41.15(1)(1) In this section, "film" means any product created using any technology for the recording, storage and reproduction of audiovisual material.
41.15(2)
(2) The department shall encourage persons to produce films which will enhance the image of this state and its communities and countryside. To carry out this purpose, it shall:
41.15(2)(a)
(a) Prepare and distribute promotional and informational materials identifying factors which make it desirable to produce films in this state and describing the services available from local and state governmental units and from the private sector in this state.
41.15(2)(b)
(b) Help persons secure licenses and permits, and provide other appropriate services, related to film production.
41.15(2)(c)
(c) Help persons obtain cooperation from local, state and federal governmental units and from the private sector in order to produce films.
41.15(2)(d)
(d) Coordinate its activities with the activities of similar bodies created by local governmental units in this state.
41.15(3)
(3) It may apply for, receive and spend grants and donations to fund its operations.
41.15 History
History: 1987 a. 27,
403;
1995 a. 27 s.
6921; Stats. 1995 s. 41.15.
41.17
41.17
Joint effort marketing. 41.17(2)
(2)
Eligibility. Any public or private organization not organized or incorporated for profit, including a tribal organization of a federally recognized American Indian tribe or band in this state, and any elected governing body of a federally recognized American Indian tribe or band in this state may apply to the department for joint effort marketing funds under this section. Prior to applying for such funds, each prospective applicant shall have submitted, at the time and in the manner provided by departmental rule, a plan and budget specifying the media to be used, the market to be approached, the facilities and attractions to be promoted and the applicant's estimated expenditures and receipts for the various projects within the plan. If such plan is coordinated with the statewide marketing strategy, the department shall approve it and the submitting organization or governing body shall be eligible to apply for joint effort marketing funds under this section.
41.17(3)
(3) Written agreements. Each joint effort marketing project shall be implemented by a written agreement between the department and the applicant organization or governing body. The agreement shall specify at a minimum:
41.17(3)(a)
(a) The name, address and contact person for the applicant and its advertising agency, if any.
41.17(3)(b)
(b) A description of the project, including the media to be used, the date or inclusive dates and the geographic market to be reached.
41.17(3)(c)
(c) An itemized statement of the estimated total costs of the project.
41.17(3)(d)
(d) An itemized statement of the revenues accruing to the applicant from the project through advertising, contributions and other sources.
41.17(3)(em)
(em) The conditions for the release of the joint effort marketing funds under this section.
41.17(4)(a)(a) No state funds may be released for a project that is not included within an advertising plan and budget submitted by an eligible organization or governing body and approved by the department.
41.17(4)(b)
(b) No funds may be released except in accordance with the agreement concluded under
sub. (3).
41.17(4)(c)
(c) Funds released in any given project may not exceed 50% of the total project costs, less that portion of the amounts recovered by the applicant through the sale of advertising or other promotional considerations in connection with the project which exceeds 50% of the total project costs.
41.17(4)(d)
(d) No funds may be used to compensate any officer or employee of the applicant for salaries or expenses.
41.17(4)(e)
(e) No name or picture of any living state or local public official or candidate for public office may be used in any project for which state funds are received under this section.
41.17(4)(f)
(f) No payments may be released except upon presentation of receipted vouchers for project expenditures by the applicant, together with such other documentary evidence substantiating payments and the purposes for which the payments were made as the departmental rules require.
41.17(4)(g)
(g) The department may promulgate rules imposing additional requirements to ensure that public funds are used to promote the maximum number of attractions and facilities.
41.17(5)
(5) Funding source. Subject to the 50% limitation under
s. 20.380 (1) (b) and the proportional expenditure requirements under
s. 20.380 (1) (b) and
(kg), the department shall expend, from the appropriations under
s. 20.380 (1) (b) and
(kg), at least $1,130,000 in the aggregate in each fiscal year in joint effort marketing funds under this section.
41.17 History
History: 1975 c. 39,
163,
200;
1991 a. 39;
1995 a. 27 s.
6922; Stats. 1995 s. 41.17;
1999 a. 9.
41.19
41.19
Heritage tourism program.
