[StBernard] New Orleans Unveils Master Plan for Tourism

[Westley Annis]

New Orleans Unveils Master Plan for Tourism

January 25, 2010

Hoping to reinvigorate its hospitality industry, New Orleans has launched a
strategic unified master plan for the city's tourism business, the New
Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau announced last week.

The product of a months-long study by the New Orleans Hospitality Task
Force, the plan calls for attracting 13.7 million annual visitors by the
city's 300th anniversary in 2018, a goal that will attract $11 billion in
direct spending, generate $700 million in tax revenue and create 33,000 new
jobs through 2018.

To help it achieve its 2018 target, the New Orleans Hospitality Task Force
has identified the following five priorities:

. Establish clear governance and sufficient funding for the hospitality
industry by merging the New Orleans Tourism and Marketing Corp. with the New
Orleans CVB.
. Aggressively focus on the basics to revitalize core assets, such as the
French Quarter.
. Strengthen external positioning with new marketing and branding
initiatives.
. Build, engage and support a world-class workforce and community.
. Drive long-term transformation-along the Riverfront and Canal Street, for
instance.

"The strategic master plan is all about making New Orleans the most
attractive destination in the nation for leisure trips, meetings,
conventions, festivals and special events," New Orleans CVB President and
CEO Stephen Perry, a task force member, said in a statement. "No city has
the culture, appeal or visitor experience of New Orleans, so we must have
the most comprehensive master plan and shrewd business model of any
destination marketing organization in the country. The strategic master plan
presents best practices and will provide an unprecedented return on
investment for every New Orleans visitor, customer and tourism-related
business."