The Big Easy Makes a Big Comeback

Buoyed by the popularity of meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana is thriving as a destination. The Big Easy has made a big comeback from the double whammy of Hurricane Katrina and a lackluster economy.

As New Orleans approaches its tricentennial in 2018, the city is more excited than ever about its future. “We are possibly among the top three most unique cities in this hemisphere but certainly in the United States,” opines Bonnie Boyd, CMP, DMCP, president of New Orleans-based BBC Destination Management. “I’ve been doing this for 30 years, and it has always been a city that people want to come to.”

The city’s special challenges in recent years have contributed to its continuing resurgence. “A lot of it has to do with the experience of the last nine years,” says Boyd. “There has been a big push in corporate give-back and bio-tourism programs. They have brought a lot of people who have seen how great the city is. A lot of them return with a faith-based group or other group to volunteer. Some have even moved here.”

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Article originally posted May 1, 2014

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