As New Orleanians, we are constantly striving to create a better city – for ourselves, for each other, and for future generations. While there are several ways to help New Orleans grow, we always want to be throwing our strongest punch. For New Orleans, our strongest punch is tourism. Tourism is our leading industry and brings in more than $6 billion in visitor spending in a year. While that number is impressive in and of itself, it means even more to our city than just providing great amounts of revenue for our valuable businesses in the hospitality industry.
NEW ORLEANS WILL see a stronger economy well beyond the hospitality industry. #TourismIsHow
Every one of those tourism dollars is spent several times over before leaving our local economy. When a French Quarter bartender spends his money at the farmers market, when a hotel manager spends her paycheck at the dentist, or when a Jackson Square artist spends his earnings on school uniforms for his children, the “Ripple Effect” that this creates impacts every single person and industry in our city.
(photo by Valerie Boucvalt)
NEW ORLEANS WILL provide fulfilling careers for its citizens. #TourismIsHow
Tourism provides our city with 78,000 jobs, including careers in many different fields – from PR professionals to bellhops, from restaurant managers to accountants, and from dishwashers to executive level positions. There is room for advancement and creativity in tourism work, not to mention stability in our city’s strongest industry.
NEW ORLEANS WILL make improvements to our schools, our streets, and our safety. #TourismIsHow
The sales tax and hotel assessment fees that visitors pay when they visit New Orleans provide us with revenue to help make improvements in areas all over our city. By creating increased revenue for our government and for important city organizations, tourists contribute to improving our schools, safety, streets, and transportation in our city.
The more we see strength and growth in our tourism industry, the more resources we will have to see New Orleans reach its full potential. Whether or not you work in the tourism industry, tourism will continue to work for every New Orleanian.