The Division of Tourism Development of the Mississippi Development Authority is authorized and directed to do the following:
To develop a marketing plan designed to attract tourists, conferences, music and theatrical performances, filmmakers and others for the purpose of the economic development of all geographic areas of the state through the promotion of projects related to Mississippi's heritage, history and culture.
To make an inventory of assets related to Mississippi's heritage, history and culture.
To establish a statewide infrastructure to offer tourists and targeted audiences a structured tour of sites and venues related to Mississippi's heritage, history and culture.
To designate specific sites for the erection of trail markers for the sites and venues related to Mississippi's heritage, history and culture.The division is authorized to approve the texts for the markers and to purchase appropriate markers from any available funds.The Mississippi Department of Transportation shall cooperate with the division by erecting and maintaining the markers that have been approved by the division.
To coordinate the trail program described in paragraph (d) of this section with the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, the Mississippi Authority for Educational Television, and the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, and similar organizations to share resources and information in order to ensure a comprehensive approach to marketing the story of Mississippi's heritage, history and culture.
To coordinate the trail program described in paragraph (d) of this section with any existing state historic preservation program, in order to identify and preserve historic properties, and determine the eligibility of those properties for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, and prepare nominations of those sites.