TITLE III: LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND THEIR GROUPINGS.

The tourist offices referred to in articles L. 133-1 to L. 133-10-1 and L. 134-5 may be classified by category according to the level of facilities and services guaranteed to the public on the basis of criteria laid down by order of the Minister responsible for tourism.

The decision of the town council or the governing body of the public establishment for inter-communal cooperation requesting classification is taken on the basis of a proposal from the tourist office.

The mayor or, where applicable, the president of the public establishment for inter-communal cooperation or of the mixed syndicate, sends the decision, together with the application for classification, to the representative of the State in the territorially competent department by electronic means or, failing that, by post.

If the application is incomplete with regard to the conditions required for the requested classification, the representative of the State in the département will notify the mayor or, where applicable, the president of the public establishment for inter-communal cooperation or the mixed syndicate, within two months, specifying the missing documents.

The classification decision is taken by order of the State representative in the département within two months of receipt of the complete application.

Classification is for a period of five years.

In order to check that they comply with the characteristics required for their classification, tourist offices are open to visits by agents of the State administration responsible for tourism or agents of an administration authorised by decision of the State representative in the département.

In the event of failure to comply with the characteristics required by the classification, downgrading or removal from the list of classified bodies is pronounced after the representative of the State in the department has ordered the tourist office to comply within three months. This injunction is sent for information to the mayor of the municipality concerned or, where applicable, to the president of the inter-municipal cooperation body.

Complaints concerning a failure to comply with the characteristics required by the classification are addressed to the representative of the State in the département. They may be followed by a compliance injunction as mentioned in article D. 133-27.

The penalties provided for in article D. 133-27 may not be imposed without the legal representative of the tourist office concerned having been given prior notice of the measures envisaged and invited to be heard.