In 2021 the Louisiana Office of Tourism said 41 million people visited the Bayou State, not quite the pre-pandemic levels of 53 million in 2019. But Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser is optimistic that numbers this year will indicate significant growth.
“When we get finished with the numbers from 2022, we believe we’ll be back close to those record-breaking numbers,” said Nungesser.
Prior to COVID, he says the state had five years of record-breaking number years in state tourism.
Nungesser said it’s not just the Crescent City that’s rebounding in tourism, he said they saw record-breaking numbers during Mardi Gras elsewhere in the state.
“In places like Shreveport, Houma, Morgan City, so we see these people traveling and going to family-friendly, affordable safe Mardi Gras in every corner of the state and that’s something we’re really proud of,” said Nungesser.
And with the Sugar Bowl on Saturday, Nungesser said he’s been promoting tourism to both Alabama and Kansas State fans encouraging them to extend their trips.
“I was on the radio talking to the home teams and telling them look book an extra day, book a swamp tour. There’s so much to do here when you come in for a sporting event, surely you want to stay an extra couple of days and see more of what Louisiana has to offer,” said Nungesser.
For the second consecutive year, the Office of Tourism has promoted the state at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Tournament of Roses Parade.
Comments