What would New Orleans be like if we couldn’t share our food and our culture? We are a city that loves to celebrate – by eating, drinking, parading, creating, and any other way we can think up. Part of who we are involves our hospitable, welcoming spirit. We love to host and entertain, so it makes sense that tourism is our leading industry. Tourism allows us to share our unique spirit with the world — including our cuisine.

Food is one of the many facets of our unique culture. (Photo: Kevin O’Mara, from Flickr)

One of the biggest draws to our city is our distinctive culinary scene, and when we welcome visitors in to experience it through our restaurants, cooking classes, or even food-focused museums, we not only reap the economic benefits of their patronage, but also have a chance to show off. We are constantly reminded how of unique and special our city and our cuisine is; we experience our culture anew as it’s reflected back at us through the fresh eyes of our visitors.

From our po-boys to our boiled crawfish to our gumbos to elegant creations from world-class chefs, nobody has what we have, and we wouldn’t be who we are without opening our doors and hearts to visitors who crave to experience it.

We are such a proud community here in New Orleans, and tourism reminds us of the many things we have to be thankful for and the kind of people we are proud to be: generous, welcoming and hospitable. As a city of only about 370,000 people, we are able to sustain 1,400 diverse restaurants — an astonishing feat that would not be possible without the influx of visitors who help keep these restaurants full and hospitable throughout the year.

“These cultural assets are what make New Orleans the one-of-a-kind destination that it is and entice locals to reconnect with the aspects they love about New Orleans,” says Stephen Perry, President and CEO, New Orleans CVB. We have every right to be proud, and that pride keeps our standards high and our restaurant scene growing.