In 1941, the Legislature (Laws of Utah 1941, ch. 75) created the Department of Publicity and Industrial Development. In 1953, the Department of Publicity and Industrial Development and the Road and Tourist Information Office (which had been created within the State Road Commission by proclamation of Governor J. Bracken Lee in 1952) were replaced by the newly created Utah Tourist and Publicity Council within the Industrial Commission (Laws of Utah 1953, ch. 123). In 1967, several departments were co-ordinated and consolidated by the Legislature in the Utah Development Services Act (Laws of Utah 1967, ch. 175); this act created the Division of Travel Development and abolished the Tourist and Publicity Council.
The 1941 Legislature, in creating the Department of Publicity and Industrial Development, appropriated $25,000 to finance its organization and activities. The special session of the 1941 Legislature adopted legislation which provided that on August 1, 1941, and on the same day each year thereafter, any surplus in the Motor Vehicle Registration Fund, the disposition of which was not otherwise provided for by law, would be transferred to the Department of Publicity and Industrial Development, but the funds so transferred should not be used in any manner which would cause the State to lose any available Federal aid for highways.