New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau Hospitality Industry Report, 2nd Quarter 2008

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NEW ORLEANS, May 6 /PRNewswire/ -- With a Presidential visit, strong 2007 visitor numbers, a seven-day Jazz and Heritage Festival line-up, a record-breaking French Quarter Festival, a first-round NBA playoff win for the New Orleans Hornets and two confirmed future conferences from the American Library Association (ALA),New Orleans' tourism industry is continuing into the spring with momentum.

2008 Latest News:

April 21-22, 2008,New Orleans successfully hosted President George W. Bush, Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper at the North American Leaders' Summit (NALS). The leaders met to discuss the future prosperity of the North American continent and addressed issues such as free trade and immigration. President Bush choseNew Orleans as the Summit destination to showcase the city's resurgence as a meeting destination.

The New Orleans Hornets defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the first series of the NBA playoffs. This marked the first New Orleans Hornets' first-round playoff win. On May 5, 2008, the New Orleans Hornets defeated the San Antonio Spurs 102-84 in front of a sellout crowd of 17,927 at the New Orleans Arena to take a 2-0 lead in the best of seven series. The New Orleans Hornets returned full-time to the city for the 2007-2008 NBA basketball season. With the support of sell-out crowds, the Hornets continue to battle for the championship title while Byron Scott received the honor of NBA Coach of the Year for his leadership during the Hornets 56-26 regular season.

On May 1, 2008, the first direct Jet Blue Airways flight fromBoston landed inNew Orleans. With the addition of this non-stop flight, Louis Armstrong Airport now offers 138 flights serving 38 cities.

Despite a damp start, the rainy weather could not delay the success of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, April 25-27 and May 1-4, 2008. The festival resumed its seven day line-up with all-star performances by Sheryl Crow, Al Green, The Neville Brothers, Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, Tim McGraw, Santana, Alison Krauss, Rebirth Brass Band, Irma Thomas and many more. Jazz Fest attendance reached 375,000 in 2007, the highest since 2003. By some early estimates, 2008 crowds appeared even larger.

The 25th Annual French Quarter Fest, April 11-13, 2008, had record-breaking attendance with an estimated 435,000 festival-goers. Jackson Square, Woldenberg Riverfront Park, Bourbon Street and the Old U.S. Mint hosted over 150 musical performances and nearly 60 food and beverage venues for the "World's Largest Jazz Brunch." French Quarter Festival is now the largest free festival in the South. On Sunday, April 15, 2007, the Fest set a single-day attendance record with 208,000 people.

New Orleans's 2007 Visitor Numbers increased from 3.7 million in 2006 to 7.1 million in 2007 according to a survey conducted by the University of New Orleans Hospitality Research Center for the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau and New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation. In 2007 visitors spent a total of $4.8 billion, compared to $2.8 billion in 2006. Continued marketing, sales and promotion will be key to achieving pre-Katrina visitor levels of 8.5 million people per year.

The American Library Association (ALA) announced that it will bring its annual conference toNew Orleans in 2011 and 2018. The 65,000-member organization brought the first city-wide conference post-Katrina to the city in 2006, with nearly 17,000 librarians and library supporters in attendance.

YouTube and Google announced their plans forNew Orleans to host a post-convention presidential forum in September 2008. The forum would feature the major party presidential candidates and would precede the first scheduled debate inOxford, Miss.

The Louisiana Office of Tourism announced the first phase of the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail, a list of historical sites honoring African Americans inLouisiana that changed the world through their ideas, art and actions. Beginning inNew Orleans, guests are invited to take a tour of Louisiana and visit churches, universities, marketplaces, cafes and the many other historical sites that contribute toLouisiana's unique culture.

Thanks to millions of travelers,New Orleans was recognized by TripAdvisor(R) for the 2008 Travelers' Choice Destinations Award in the categories of Top 100 World and Top 25 United States.

The 2008 PGA Zurich Classic was held at the Tournament Players Clubs of Louisiana (TPC) on March 24-30, 2008.

New Orleans was the site of "V to the Tenth," April 10-11, which brought many celebrities for a historic benefit performance and a celebration of the 10th Anniversary of "The Vagina Monologues."

Pittcon(R) 2008, the 59th Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy, was held March 1-7 inNew Orleans. Attendance was approximately 20,000. They have also reconfirmedNew Orleans for the 2013 conference. Pittcon(R) has been an extraordinary ambassador toNew Orleans, donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to the science departments of the New Orleans public schools.

Other conventions in the second quarter inNew Orleans include the American Chemical Society, the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists and the National Cable & Telecommunications Association.

The Audubon Insectarium, the largest freestanding museum inthe United States dedicated to insects, opens June 13. It is the first major attraction to open inNew Orleans since August 2005.

With consumers battling high gas prices,New Orleans is offering many travel discounts and festivals this summer, including:

    New Orleans Wine and Food Experience: May 21-25, 2008
    Greek Festival New Orleans 2008: May 23-25, 2008
    Back to the Beach Festival: May 30-June 1, 2008
    Louisiana Seafood Festival, Cajun/Zydeco Music Festival and French Market
     Creole Tomato Festival: June 7-10, 2008
    Essence Music Festival: July 4-6, 2008
    Tales of the Cocktail: July 16-20, 2008
    COOLinary New Orleans restaurant promotion: July 1-August 31, 2008
    Satchmo SummerFest: July 31-August 3, 2008

Consistently recognized as one of the top five convention and visitor bureaus inthe United States, The New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau is the driving force behindNew Orleans' most important industry, tourism. Today the cultural riches, sensual indulgences and unparalleled service that define theNew Orleans experience continue to flourish, as they have for centuries. The most celebrated and historic core of the city -- including the French Quarter, Central Business District, Warehouse and Arts District, Magazine Street, the Faubourg Marigny and Garden District -- are thriving. In 2007New Orleans welcomed 7.1 million visitors, nearly double the amount of visitors in 2006. For more information, visit www.neworleanscvb.com.

    Media Contacts:
    New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau
    Kelly Schulz                                 Jennifer Lotz
    504-566-5019                                 504-566-5019
    kschulz@neworleanscvb.com                    jlotz@neworelanscvb.com

    Jennifer Tolchin
    212-445-8336
    jtolchin@webershandwick.com

SOURCE The New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau

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New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau Hospitality Industry Report, 2nd Quarter 2008