FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contacts:
Kristian Sonnier
New Orleans CVB
504-566-5045
ksonnier@neworleanscvb.com

Lea Sinclair
NOTMC
504-491-5330
lea@notmc.com

New Orleans Named No. 1 City for Food in the U.S. and a Top 5 Music Destination in the World
Readers of Travel + Leisure and Elle UK recognize the city's uniqueness

NEW ORLEANS - August 9, 2016 - In the course of two days, New Orleans has earned national and international awards from sought-after publications highlighting two of the city's biggest cultural assets: music and food. The Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards 2016 continue to designate New Orleans as a top-tier cultural destination, announcing the city is No.1 on their list of Best Cities for Food in the United States. Surveyed readers weigh in on the simplicity of finding a restaurant in New Orleans, ranging from po'boy shops to timeless dining establishments. New Orleans' cuisine ranked ahead of cities such as Charleston, New York City, San Francisco and Chicago.

In addition to the outstanding restaurants, New Orleans' unique music scene continues to garner international recognition as Elle UK has named New Orleans one of the Top 5 Holiday Destinations for Music Lovers, notably the only U.S. city on the list. Elle UK describes that the name New Orleans alone is "synonymous with music" and although the city is the birthplace of jazz, it also showcases "live rock, brass bands and zydeco beats emanating from fabled music clubs oozing characteristic southern charm."

Coming off the news that New Orleans' international visitation increased by 37% in 2015 and Travel + Leisure also awarded New Orleans the distinction of No. 7 City in the World, it is evident that travelers recognize the one-of-a-kind cultural experiences found in New Orleans. These designations are the most recent accomplishments in a string of accolades including The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport welcoming more than one million passengers through the airport in the month of May 2016, Condé Nast Traveler's list of Best Big Cities in the U.S. and Travel + Leisure's list of America's Favorite Cities, among others.

"New Orleans continues to create a rich, cultural experience for food and music enthusiasts unparalleled by other destinations," said Stephen Perry, President and CEO, New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau. "We are honored to be recognized on these prestigious lists, celebrating what we are lucky enough to experience every day by calling New Orleans home. This revalidates that we are one of the world's most beloved cities and is a testament to our chefs and musicians who strive to preserve the culture that makes the Crescent City unique."

"You can travel the world and you'll never find food and music anywhere like we offer to visitors in New Orleans," said Mark Romig, President and CEO of New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation (NOTMC). "We appreciate and are humbled by the ranking by Travel +Leisure and Elle UK. Our chefs and musicians, who bring the world such a gift, surely deserve it and represent our culinary creativity, unique musical composition and so much more."

More information on Travel + Leisure's Best Cities for Food in the United States can be found here and Elle UK's Top 5 Holiday Destinations for Music Lovers and a complete list of winners can be found here.

The New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau is a nationally accredited, 1,100-member destination marketing organization and the largest and most successful private economic development corporation in Louisiana. The CVB and its members influence thousands of decision-makers and millions of visitors to choose New Orleans through direct sales, marketing, public relations, branding and visitor services at our New Orleans headquarters and offices in Chicago, Louisville, KY, Washington, D.C. and six foreign countries. Consistently recognized as one of the top five CVBs in the country, the New Orleans CVB celebrates its 55th anniversary in 2015. For more information, please visit www.neworleanscvb.com; www.facebook.com/neworleans; www.twitter.com/neworleanscvb.

The New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation is the City of New Orleans' official leisure travel promotion agency created to foster jobs and economic growth by developing the tourism industry in New Orleans. NOTMC is publicly funded and provides year-round online marketing, advertising, public relations and special event programming in order to support the growth of leisure travel to New Orleans.

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