Tourism In New Orleans Research Paper
Introduction to the New Orleans Tourism Industry
Before Hurricane Katrina in August of 2005 New Orleans, Louisiana boasted a thriving tourism industry. Hurricane Katrina devastated the city. Thousands of lives were lost and businesses and homes vanished overnight. So did the tourism industry. This paper will discuss the New Orleans tourism industry before and after Hurricane Katrina. It will analyze the economic impact of the hurricane on employment, housing and healthcare in the area, which all directly affects the tourism industry. It will also discuss the rebuilding the city and revamping the tourism industry.
Before Hurricane Katrina Prior to August 2005, tourism in New Orleans was a $5 – 8 billion dollar industry. Tourism …show more content…
It includes hotels, restaurants, retail, sporting arenas, music venues, museums, galleries and theaters, destination management companies and tour operators. This portion of the paper will discuss the economic drivers of the New Orleans tourism industry.
Mardi Gras The tradition of Mardi Gras came to North America from Paris, where it had been celebrated since the Middle Ages. The term Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday and is an annual festival marking the final day before the Christian fast of Lent. Carnival parades in the streets of New Orleans begin twelve days before Lent. Mardi Gras attracts tourists from all around the world to New Orleans. “Mardi Gras draws more than 3 million people to parades and generates approximately $1 billion for the local economy.” (http://encarta.msn.com) Mardi Gras is essential to the New Orleans economy because it generates a better than 4-to-1 return on investment. According to a study in 2000 conducted by the University of New Orleans, investing $4.6 million dollars of direct tax revenues in Mardi Gras celebrations generated $20.5 million dollars for the city. …show more content…
By 2000 it represented 16 percent of employment and 8 percent of the total wages generated in the city. 1 out of 6 people working in New Orleans in 2000 was employed in the tourism industry. While employment in many areas of New Orleans struggled, tourism was one of the bright sectors of the economy. “Between 1990 and 2004, jobs grew by 33.0 percent (10, 715) in this sector (tourism), and they continued to grow in the months preceding the hurricane.” (Dolfman)
Employment in the tourism industry was drastically impacted by Hurricane Katrina for two reasons. First, of all employment sectors in the city, tourism experienced the largest amount of job losses. Secondly, tourism would have shown further employment gains had the hurricane not hit the city. In the 10 months following the hurricane, the tourism industry lost approximately 22,900 jobs and $382.7 million in wages. (Dolfman) This chart illustrates the changes in the tourism industry in New Orleans between January 2004 and June 2005. (Reproduced from chart illustration in Monthly Labor Review, June
Before Hurricane Katrina in August of 2005 New Orleans, Louisiana boasted a thriving tourism industry. Hurricane Katrina devastated the city. Thousands of lives were lost and businesses and homes vanished overnight. So did the tourism industry. This paper will discuss the New Orleans tourism industry before and after Hurricane Katrina. It will analyze the economic impact of the hurricane on employment, housing and healthcare in the area, which all directly affects the tourism industry. It will also discuss the rebuilding the city and revamping the tourism industry.
Before Hurricane Katrina Prior to August 2005, tourism in New Orleans was a $5 – 8 billion dollar industry. Tourism …show more content…
It includes hotels, restaurants, retail, sporting arenas, music venues, museums, galleries and theaters, destination management companies and tour operators. This portion of the paper will discuss the economic drivers of the New Orleans tourism industry.
Mardi Gras The tradition of Mardi Gras came to North America from Paris, where it had been celebrated since the Middle Ages. The term Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday and is an annual festival marking the final day before the Christian fast of Lent. Carnival parades in the streets of New Orleans begin twelve days before Lent. Mardi Gras attracts tourists from all around the world to New Orleans. “Mardi Gras draws more than 3 million people to parades and generates approximately $1 billion for the local economy.” (http://encarta.msn.com) Mardi Gras is essential to the New Orleans economy because it generates a better than 4-to-1 return on investment. According to a study in 2000 conducted by the University of New Orleans, investing $4.6 million dollars of direct tax revenues in Mardi Gras celebrations generated $20.5 million dollars for the city. …show more content…
By 2000 it represented 16 percent of employment and 8 percent of the total wages generated in the city. 1 out of 6 people working in New Orleans in 2000 was employed in the tourism industry. While employment in many areas of New Orleans struggled, tourism was one of the bright sectors of the economy. “Between 1990 and 2004, jobs grew by 33.0 percent (10, 715) in this sector (tourism), and they continued to grow in the months preceding the hurricane.” (Dolfman)
Employment in the tourism industry was drastically impacted by Hurricane Katrina for two reasons. First, of all employment sectors in the city, tourism experienced the largest amount of job losses. Secondly, tourism would have shown further employment gains had the hurricane not hit the city. In the 10 months following the hurricane, the tourism industry lost approximately 22,900 jobs and $382.7 million in wages. (Dolfman) This chart illustrates the changes in the tourism industry in New Orleans between January 2004 and June 2005. (Reproduced from chart illustration in Monthly Labor Review, June