By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – Although the region did not experience any direct effects from last summer’s Deepwater Horizon well explosion and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the River Parishes will be receiving nearly $140,000 from BP to help promote tourism in the region.

As part of a commitment to assist the state in recovering from the tourism black eye caused by the spill, BP has allocated $30 million for a tourism recovery program to aid all 64 Louisiana Parishes. St. John the Baptist, St. James and St. Charles parishes are among 53 other parishes not physically affected by the spill. Those parishes will split a $2.5 million piece of the entire allocation.

According to figures from the Louisiana Office of Tourism, St. John Parish received about $55,000, St. James received about $25,000 and St. Charles received a little more than $59,000. The tourism office said allocations were based on population and vicinity in relation to the spill.

Although each parish has some separate plans for the money, all three have forged agreements with the River Parishes Tourist Commission to create a spending plan for the funds that benefits the entire region.

“We have found that we do our best when we are working together as a region,” said Jay Tusa, executive director for the tourist commission. “Our goal is to strengthen the River Parishes region brand through marketing that focuses on the region being a great tourist destination.”

The commission has developed a spending schedule that spreads several tourism projects out over the entire year. The spending begins in May with the development of promotional videos and directional signage.

“We are developing five promotional videos that will showcase the plantations, fairs and festivals and give a general view of what the region has to offer,” Tusa said. “The signage will help outsiders who come to the region get an understanding of where things are and their historical relevance to the region.”

The parishes will also use the money to host a trio of familiarization tours of the region for media, tour operators and hotel concierges to begin later this year and early next year. Each parish will also get their own tourism brochure, which will detail individual destinations within each parish.

“We are working together, but each parish is its own individual entity with individual quirks and positives,” Tusa said. “There are some things that one parish needs that the others don’t.”

There are also plans to create video podcasts and a mobile website for the tourist commission.

Tusa said St. James has committed its entire allotment to the tourist commission but said St. John and St. Charles parishes are still discussing individual plans. He said the St. James money would likely be used as a match to any funds put up by St. John and St. Charles.

“Say St. Charles puts up $10,000 of their share, Tusa said. “We would take that amount from St. James, put it toward the joint funds and what is left over would be used to promote St. James alone.”

Tusa said the tourist commission hopes to have all money spent and projects in motion by April 2012.