New Orleans CVB Launches New Website for Journalists Covering the Gulf Oil Spill

NEW ORLEANS CVB LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE FOR JOURNALISTS COVERING
THE GULF OIL SPILL AND ITS AFFECT ON THE TOURISM INDUSTRY
New online media center provides updates, information, videos and photography to traditional and online media to show the New Orleans' visitor experience and tourism industry continuing to operate despite oil cleanup efforts in the Gulf

NEW ORLEANS (July 29, 2010) - The New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) launched a new online newsroom, www.thisjustinneworleans.com, designed to serve as a resource for all journalists covering the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and provide the latest news from the city's $5 billion tourism industry. New Orleans is a city that survives by tourism, which is a multi-billion-dollar, perception-driven industry.

Suitable for all media, from broadcasters to bloggers, features of www.thisjustinneworleans.com include:

. Video stories on timely topics including seafood safety, cuisine, music and cultural events featuring key personalities and chefs. These videos are embeddable on news or blog sites, and available by request in broadcast quality.

. Still photographs from around the city

. Press materials, statistics and updates from the city

. RSS subscription for future updates

Tourism is the largest industry in New Orleans providing employment to 70,000 citizens. Tourism attracts $5 billion in capital annually and contributes more than $200 million in taxes to state coffers making crucial contributions to the health of the state. More information on tourism in New Orleans is available on the new site.

The events on the coast 100 miles from New Orleans have been tragic and have impacted everyone in the region. New Orleans continues to welcome hundreds of thousands of leisure visitors and conference attendees who enjoy the same hospitality and fun for which the city is known.

The New Orleans CVB is the driving catalyst for New Orleans' largest industry - tourism - strategically leading national and international marketing, public relations and visitor services efforts that attract millions of visitors, events, conventions and festivals. Consistently recognized as one of the top five CVBs in the country, the New Orleans CVB is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2010.

###