LAPLACE — A riverboat terminal, an “Andouille Trail” and a potential rebranding are among the planned projects intended to move the River Parishes Tourist Commission into the next decade.

This week, the River Parishes Tourist Commission (RPTC) hosted a series of round tables across the River Region to foster open discussion and planning in the key areas of tourism. Executive Director Buddy Boe addressed stakeholders representing local attractions, lodging, arts & culture and food & beverage destinations.

Over the summer, the RPTC engaged in a DestinationNEXT survey to serve as the thermometer for a 10-year strategic plan. The results of that survey will be shared with the public at 10 a.m. Thursday during a regular meeting in the Council Chambers at 1811 W. Airline Highway in LaPlace.

“New Orleans Plantation Country” has been RPTC’s brand for 20 years, save for a brief period of time when the brand was “Take Me to the River.” However, it may be time for a change as RPTC conducts strategic planning and brand analysis in 2020.

“The brand has been beat up and it’s been praised,” Boe said. “As a brand, it works. It challenges emotions, both good and bad. An emotionally triggering brand is not a bad thing, but we need to make sure it is appropriate for today, and that it is intended to last another 15-20 years. We’re going to do a true internal analysis of it, both from a tour operator perspective, a visitor perspective and a local perspective.”

Boe said the report would be presented to the RPTC Board for a decision on whether to do a true rebranding.

“That is not cheap. That is not done overnight, and one person does not get to pick it,” Boe said. “If we decide to stay with New Orleans Plantation Country, we will say why. That will probably be early to mid spring when we make that gut call for where we will go as a destination moving forward.”

Also part of the brand exploration process is the planned development of a “long overdue” Andouille Trail in 2020, according to Boe. The Andouille Trail would guide visitors to unique food attractions in the River Parishes. It would ideally be followed by the development of a bonfire trail highlighting the River Region’s beloved Christmas tradition.

Other proposed trails include an art and culture trail and a separate 1811 Slave Revolt trail extending from St. John to St. Charles Parish. RPTC sent out requests for proposals for a new marketing firm, public relations firm, product development firm and a strategic planning firm.

Digital content manager Andre Watkins was recently welcomed as the newest member of the River Parishes Tourist Commission. Watkins will be part of an effort to bring RPTC into the 21^st Century digitally, which includes making sure paved bike paths and other local attractions are searchable through Google maps.

Boe plans to hire another team member within six months to book small events and meetings with the St. John Parish Community Center. At Tuesday’s Parish Council meeting, members will vote whether to extend the RPTC’s control of the community center for another 10 years.

The Community Center has been used as a site for film productions, according to RPTC team member Wilma Harvey. That is not the building’s only purpose, however.

“We’ve gotten a lot of inquiries about family reunions and class reunions,” Harvey said. “We’re getting requests for weddings. They go all the way through 2021.”

Boe said RPTC must find a way to target the cruise ship industry, which he said brings an estimated $1.5 million in revenue each year and leads 73 percent of passengers to book weekend stays in New Orleans.

RPTC is working with the Port of South Louisiana to open a riverboat terminal in Vacherie that would bring as many as 70,000 people to the River Parishes within five years, according to Boe.

Locals are also invited to explore the region through a completely free tour of the Manchac Swamp on Dec. 6. The tour will bring guests from Bec’s at the Lake Restaurant to Turtle Cove Research Center and a 30-minute kayaking tour.

At the end of an attractions roundtable held in Garyville, several stakeholders from local plantations noted the success of the recent RPTC Tourism Summit. Some guests noted they would like to see more team building activities and speakers from within the region.

Norman Marmillion of Laura Plantation said he would like to see a celebration planned for the German Coast’s 300-year anniversary in 2021.