Esta ley enmienda la "Puerto Rico Tourism Company Act" para establecer un plan conjunto con el Departamento de Transportación y Obras Públicas y la Autoridad de Carreteras para crear y distribuir mapas y señalización turística ilustrada en carreteras y sitios de interés histórico y social. La señalización y los mapas deben incluir descripciones en español, inglés, francés y otros idiomas según un estudio de mercado, utilizando el sistema de señalización turística internacional de la Organización Mundial del Turismo.
| (S. B 1418) | ||
|---|---|---|
| (Conference) | ||
| (No. 187) | ||
| (August 17, 2002) | ||
| AN ACT | ||
| To | amend the first paragraph of Section 5, and clause (5) subsection (O) of | said Section 5, and subsection (1) of Section 6 of Act No. 10 of June 18, 1970, as amended, known as “Puerto Rico Tourism Company Act”, in order to provide for the Puerto Rico Tourism Company to establish and carry out jointly with the Department of Transportation and Public Works and the Highways Authority, a plan to pictorially illustrated signs and to prepare and distribute maps to identify the highways and tourist, historical and social interest sites, with descriptions written in Spanish and English, French, and/or other languages determined by the Tourism Company upon a marketing study, in the language preferred by those tourists and visitors who are neither English nor Spanish speakers. |
| STATEMENT OF MOTIVES | ||
| The Puerto Rico Tourism Company was created through Act No. 10 of June 18, 1970, as amended, known as “Puerto Rico Tourism Company Act,” with the purpose of promoting the growth of the tourist industry, and participate, stimulate, and organize promotional programs in areas of historic, social and tourist interest in Puerto Rico and abroad. | ||
| At present, thousands of travelers visit our Capital City, attracted by the historic beauty of the walled city and by its effervescent nightlife and civic activities of other zones thereof. Likewise, those travelers visit important cities of Puerto Rico, including zones of great interest for their natural beauty. Their magnificent experience is frequently obstructed by the lack of pictorially illustrated signs and descriptions, which can serve as guides and |
directions for the visitors who want to discover the enchantment of our beautiful Island, on their own.
There are, at present on our Island, some signs with symbols such as the parrot, the horse, the flamboyan, and the coquí frog, which are unknown to our visitors. International tourists are familiarized with the international signing system, recommended by the World Tourism Organization. This system has been adopted successfully in the United States of America and Spain. Its format is easily understood by the foreign visitors as well as the residents of Puerto Rico. The Department of Transportation and Public Works and the Highways Authority use the Uniform Handbook of Devices for the control of traffic, which provides guidelines for signs on highways, museums, and paradores (country inns) by using internationally known signs with a brown background and white letters.
This Legislature deems that it is necessary for the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, in coordination with the Department of Transportation and Public Works, and the Highways Authority to establish an internationally known signs system for the highways and the tourist, historical and social interest sites in Puerto Rico, with descriptions in Spanish, English, French and/or other languages that the Tourism Company may determine, upon carrying out a marketing study, are preferred by those tourists and visitors who are not English or Spanish-speakers, so that their visit to our Island will be a pleasant and unforgettable one.
Section 1.- The first paragraph of Section 5, and clause (5) of subsection (O) of the said Section 5, are hereby amended to read as follows:
"Section 5.- Rights, duties, and powers The Company shall have and may exercise the rights, duties, and powers that are necessary or convenient to promote, develop, and improve the tourist industry, including, but without any intent to limit, the following:
(a) ...
(o) Propose, recommend, adopt, and administratively coordinate with the pertinent government agencies, such measures addressed to the following aspects, among others: (1) (5) Establish and execute, in coordination with the Department of Transportation and Public Works, and the Highways Authority a plan to pictorially illustrate, and prepare and distribute maps to identify the highways and tourist, historic and social interest sites, with description written in Spanish, English, French, and/or other languages determined by the Tourism Company, after a marketing study, in the language preferred by those tourist and visitors who are neither English or Spanish-speakers, besides describing their development, taking into account not only its local purpose, but also the tourist aspect. The signs and maps shall have the purpose of revealing and directing pedestrian or driver to sites of tourist, social and historic interest of our Island. The signs and maps shall be made following the tourist signing system established internationally by the World Tourism Organization."
Section 2.- Subsection (1) of Section 6 of Act No. 10 of June 18, 1970, as amended, is hereby amended to read as follows: "Section 6.- Obligations: The Company shall be responsible for:
(1) Adopting, participating, organizing, and encouraging promotional and tourist attraction programs, such as the preparation and publication of books, magazines, pamphlets, maps and printed matter of all kinds and films, which may be distributed, circulated, and exhibited on the Island as well as in other countries."
Section 3.- This Act shall take effect immediately after its approval.
I hereby certify to the Secretary of State that the following Act No. 187 (S.B. 1418) (Conference) of the $3^{ ext {rd }}$ Session of the $14^{ ext {th }}$ Legislature of Puerto Rico:
AN ACT to amend the first paragraph of Section 5, and clause (5) subsection (O) of said Section 5, and subsection (1) of Section 6 of Act No. 10 of June 18, 1970, as amended, known as "Puerto Rico Tourism Company Act", in order to provide for the Puerto Rico Tourism Company to establish and carry out jointly with the Department of Transportation and Public Works and the Highways Authority, a plan to pictorially illustrate signs and to prepare and distribute maps to identify the highways and tourist, historical and social interest sites, etc., has been translated from Spanish to English and that the English version is correct.
In San Juan, Puerto Rico, today $17^{ ext {th }}$ of May of 2004.
Elba Rosa Rodríguez-Fuentes Director