FRANCE | LAURENCE JÉGOUZO 181 responsibilities28 allowed municipalities to group together to pool their tourism promotion. National Federation: In 1919, the union of federations of tourist offices was created. Today, the National Federation of Tourist Offices and Tourist Information Centres, which has become the Federation of French Tourist Offices, groups together 100 departmental unions and more than 3,652 tourist offices and tourist information centres. Among these organisations, 123 structures have merged. There are now 39% communal tourist offices, 57% community tourist offices and 4% inter-municipal tourist offices. 2.3.2. CREATION OF TOURIST OFFICES AND TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRES 1) Initiative Unions An association under the 1901 Law whose creation is always of private origin: The creation of this structure is not the result of a decision by the local authority, but rather that of shopkeepers, inhabitants or any other professional player in the tourism sector who wishes to act effectively. There are about 364 tourist information centres. They have links with the regional tourism committees and the departmental tourism committees since they are present in them. They can market services for their members and are therefore subject to registration (see 2.4.). If they receive support from the local authority, they must respect the principle of freedom of trade and industry and only compete with private actors if private initiative is lacking29. Being private law bodies, their staff is subject to a private law regime except when the local authority provides civil servants or contractual agents under public law. They generally draw up an agreement with the local authority on whose territory they are present, particularly when the authority does not have a tourist office. This agreement governs all the material and functional aspects of their mission, whether it be the premises, which are often lent by the local authority, the opening hours, the events to be organised, the staff made available, etc. This is often important in terms of responsibility and funding, because if they obtain aid from a local authority, they are subject to control by the regional audit office. 28 Law no. 2004-809 of 13 August 2004 on local freedoms and responsibilities, OJ 17 August 2004. 29 CAA Nantes, 22 avr. 2003, no. 99NT02635, Syndicat d ’ initiative ouvrant un musée du camembert avec vente de produits locaux.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTE4NzM5Nw==