The Texas Travel Information Centers serve over two million visitors annually. Travelers stopping at the centers have access to approximately 5 million pieces of travel literature each year, making the Travel Information Centers the largest outlet of travel literature in Texas.
Your organization is encouraged to participate by distributing travel literature through the centers. Please review the criteria below and send samples for approval to:
Travel Services Section Headquarters
150 East Riverside Dr.
Austin, TX 78704
If approved, you will receive an acceptance letter and a contact list for the Travel Information Centers that stock travel literature.
Acceptable Travel Literature
Travel literature accepted and displayed in a travel information center:
- must be approved for display by the Travel Information Division director or his/her designee,
- must be 100 percent travel and tourism-oriented,
- must be of professional quality, and
- may contain coupons, prizes, or contests related to travel and tourism.
Travel literature must contain subject matter relating to:
- recreation,
- scenic areas,
- historic sites,
- the arts, including museums and performing arts theaters,
- fairs, festivals, or special events of public interest,
- accommodations, including, but not limited to, bed and breakfasts and guest ranches,
- restaurants,
- shopping centers, malls, outlet stores, or specialty shopping facilities that serve as tourist attractions,
- RV vehicle parks and campgrounds,
- city, county, state, and national parks,
- travel maps or public transportation information, or
- traveler safety.
Unacceptable Travel Literature
In addition to meeting the requirements listed above, the department will not accept travel literature that:
- is solely for the purpose of selling a single, tangible item, including, but not limited to, a brochure selling a tape, CD, magazine or cookbook, with the exception of Texas Highways, the state's official travel magazine,
- is solely for the purpose of selling a membership,
- is solely for the purpose of promoting facilities or other subjects not directly related to travel and tourism,
- contains terminology, advertising or pictures that are adult or sexually-oriented or are otherwise not directly related to family-oriented travel or tourism,
- promotes or describes in-state locations, destinations, facilities, accommodations or attractions not regularly accessible (open) to the general public year-round except for attractions or destinations that open seasonally because of weather conditions,
- is for display on the wall, including, but not limited to, a poster or banner, or
- is for the purpose of promoting out-of-state travel and tourism activities, destinations, facilities, attractions and services that do not augment Texas travel and tourism, unless the travel literature:
- is regional and contains 51 percent or more information on Texas travel and tourism,
- is an accommodation guide that has hotel/motel information on Texas properties along with hotel/motel information on other states, or
- concerns the City of Texarkana, which is located in both Texas and Arkansas, shares a single chamber of commerce and produces a combined information brochure.
Display and Distribution Terms
Private sector travel literature will be:
- displayed in a manner that the Travel Information Center supervisor believes is the most efficient and informative for the visitor,
- displayed in a manner that gives more exposure to destinations near the Travel Information Center or to destinations in high demand,
- displayed in season, if it is of a seasonal nature,
- rotated periodically to provide exposure for all travel interests,
- replaced by new travel literature when a new date appears on the brochure or when substantial changes have been made to the item, and
- discarded when it becomes outdated; travel literature will not be sent back to the original establishment, but will be disposed of through a recycling program or the most appropriate manner.
