From top-notch sporting events at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome to great dining experiences in the French Quarter, there are plenty of reasons why New Orleans is #1 in sports tourism. After all, sporting events like WWE Wrestlemania provide an unforgettable experience, and fans also get to enjoy the restaurants, nightlife, and great hospitality that makes our city by far the most fun and exciting place to visit on earth.
The Best Sporting Events
New Orleans does sports like no other city. Of course, Saints football and Pelicans basketball are both a big reason why our city has the reputation for sports that it has. Both teams are nationally renowned and our fans bring an infectious energy to each and every game.
Photo courtesy of C.C. Chapman on Flickr
But we’re also are constantly trying to improve the experience for visitors and our locals. That’s why we invested millions in improving the Superdome in preparation for Super Bowl XLVII, which not only improved the championship experience, but will also bring more fans and visitors for future games.
New Orleans is such a great city for sports that we’ve even won awards for it. Recently, we received honors from the World Travel Awards for being the best city for sports tourism in 2013, helping cement our city’s legacy as the top tourist destination for sports fans. We’ve hosted NBA championship, NCAA championships, the Sugar Bowls, WrestleMania events, and a total of 10 Super Bowls. Each event boosts our reputation and helps tourists understand why New Orleans is such a fun city for seeing sports and more.
The New Orleans Experience
Sports tourism isn’t just about sporting events, but also about exploring everything our city has to offer. New Orleans has been recognized as a top tourist destination, has some of the finest hotels to stay in, and also has plenty of options for playing sports on your own.
Photo by Paul Broussard
New Orleans is also known as a city for just strolling around, and with beautiful architecture, live music on nearly every corner, and friendly locals in every bar, it’s no wonder tourists never get tired of visiting our city.
In 2013, over 9.28 million tourists came to New Orleans and spent more than $6 billion during their stay. Sporting tourists also made a huge impact: a large chunk of that sum came directly from sports-related events, such as Super Bowl and the NCAA Men’s Final Four.
Sports fans also enjoy New Orleans’ world-famous cuisine. The Condé Nast Traveler just named New Orleans number five for their “Best American Cities for Foodies” award. From local creole cuisine to Louisiana barbecue, New Orleans knows how to keep sports fans begging for a second helping.
Ultimately, the mixture of excellent sporting events combined with the vibrancy of New Orleans makes for a winning combination. Our city will continue to draw record numbers of visitors, host the best sporting events in the world, and add more sports tourism awards to our trophy collection, helping everyone know exactly why we’re #1 and intend to stay on top.