Now that National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW) is over, we’re taking a moment to review its successes in New Orleans.
From the hundreds of industry members who attended the New Orleans-style kickoff celebration at House of Blues (it included a brass band, aerial dancers, and Mardi Gras Indians) to a keynote luncheon discussing the city’s record-breaking year in tourism, NTTW in New Orleans reminded us all why tourism and hospitality continues to be the lifeblood of the Crescent City.
Stephen Perry, the president and CEO of the New Orleans CVB spoke at House of Blues as part of NTTW.
New Orleans Convention and Visitor’s Bureau president and CEO Stephen Perry spoke at the NTTW kickoff event, packed with hundreds of industry members who attended.
“Tourism is the lifeblood of the Crescent City and our biggest economic driver. Money generated from tourism supports vital city services, such as education, infrastructure improvements, safety and other services that improve the overall quality of life for the local community,” said Perry during his speech.
Several influential members of the tourism and hospitality industry pose during NTTW.
“Because of the millions of visitors who travel to New Orleans, we can support the amenities and attractions of a city with a much bigger population, which all locals benefit from. Tourism fills the seats at our world-class restaurants and jazz clubs, and keeps attendance numbers high for our museums and hundreds of festivals,” he said. “The tax dollars generated from tourism allow us to reinvest back into our community and build a brighter, stronger tomorrow as we march forward to the city’s 300th birthday in 2018.”
A classic New Orleans second line contributed to the welcoming atmosphere of NTTW.
Travel is an asset to our economy that brings in more than 80,000 jobs for New Orleanians, and NTTW hones in on how tourism and economic gain are so closely intertwined. What’s more exciting, NTTW partnered this year with Give NOLA Day to encourage the hospitality industry to give back to the community on this citywide day of giving. Give NOLA received 34,539 unique donations for a grand total of $4.08 million raised for local nonprofits that benefit our city.
Favorite Photos
We’ve included some of our favorite photos from New Orleans’ 2015 National Travel and Tourism Week within this post, but you can check out even more photos of NTTW and NEW ORLEANS WILL on our Facebook page.