Will New Orleans get more tourists over the next few years?

Question

Will the tourism industry for the Big Easy go back to the way it was before August 2005?

Answer 1

How do you eat an elephant?

One bite at a time.

How do you resurrect a city after a hurricane brings it to it's knees?

One step at a time.

It will NEVER be the city it was. It will be ALMOST the city it was because the people who love the city won't let it be anything but that. But the tourist they WILL return...that is more inevitable than rising gas prices.

(Love...to my 'peeps.')

Answer 2

I believe it's well on its way. Last weekend, I was hanging out in the quarter during the day - beautiful weather - and I was just admiring the number of people walking around. I even heard one tourist remark on how visiting a year ago, she could see a marked increase in the number of people on the streets. Also, attending a couple of weddings and the accompanying events over the last month, I've noticed the nightlife on Bourbon Street seems to be booming again.

One estimate I heard of Mardi Gras said around 800,000 tourists were in town for the season, and that number is expected to be around a million for next year.

Answer 3

I'm going for the first time in a few weeks. I had NOLA on my list of vacation spots for several years but Katrina definitely helped move it up in line for me. I really want to spend my vacation dollars in a place that really needs it. I hope others feel the same.

Will it ever be the same? Well, a lack of low cost housing for employees of the service industries will hinder a full recovery for many years I think. They need to reopen the projects for low wage service industry people to live. Housing and rentals in NOLA are just too expensive, even if rents are slowly starting to come down.

Answer 4

It may- some day- unless another big hurricane wipes it off the map, first.

Answer 5

Its going to take a long time before it gets to pre-Katrina levels.