Gov. Kelly to move state’s Tourism Division under Department of Commerce
(The Center Square) – Gov. Laura Kelly plans to place the state’s Tourism Division under the Kansas Department of Commerce in a reorganization supported by businesses.
“Consolidating our tourism focus within the Department of Commerce sends a clear message to our industry partners and prospective companies that this administration will use every tool at our disposal to spur new economic development,” Kelly said in a statement. “This realignment will benefit our business community, our tourism industry, and Kansas’s economic recovery as a whole.”
The decision comes after the state received input from businesses, destination marketing organizations and other industries, including the Travel Industry Association of Kansas (TIAK), The Kansas Restaurant & Hospitality Association (KRHA), and the Kansas Economic Development Alliance (KEDA), Kelly said.
“This is a move the tourism industry has supported and it is the right time for this change,” TIAK President Jim Zaleski said in a statement. “Kansas Tourism and the Department of Commerce have a shared goal of bringing revenue into the state. A coordinated marketing effort will help establish and promote a consistent, strong state brand and a single ‘front door’ to Kansas.”
The Tourism Division will be housed within Business Development at the Kansas Department of Commerce, according to a news release from the governor’s office.
“This move will create a more robust, centralized effort to attract tourism to the state of Kansas,” Lieutenant Governor and Commerce Secretary David Toland said in a statement.
Kelly said she will submit an Executive Reorganization Order to the Kansas Legislature on Jan. 25. The ERO becomes effective July 1 unless either the Senate or House adopts a resolution disapproving it, according to the news release.
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