New Orleans CVB Launches Summer Campaign “Be a Tourist in Your Own Hometown”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contacts:
Jennifer Day                                               Jenn Lotz
504-566-5050/773-909-2514 cell               504-566-5019
jday@neworleanscvb.com                        jlotz@neworleanscvb.com

New Orleans CVB Launches Summer Campaign “Be a Tourist in Your Own Hometown”
Summer campaign filled with specials and prizes including a $1,000 “staycation” package

NEW ORLEANS – July 29, 2011 – The New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) announces the launch of this year’s “Be a Tourist in Your Own Hometown” campaign. The campaign will run August 1-September 30, 2011. The program’s mission is to encourage New Orleanians to enjoy all of the hospitality offerings that make our city one of the most popular travel destinations in the world. “Be a Tourist in Your Own Hometown” collects and promotes summer specials on meals, attractions, hotels and more. For coupons and program details, visit www.touristathome.com.

“Sometimes as locals we find ourselves in a predictable cycle when it comes to the bars, clubs and restaurants we choose to visit,” remarked Stephen Perry, President and CEO of the New Orleans CVB. “We forget to venture outside of our usual favorites and Be a Tourist specials are the perfect inspiration to break routine. New Orleans has been racking up awards and accolades. Recently we were voted Best Large City for a Weekend Getaway by AAA South Magazine readers and the city was ranked sixth on the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards for cities in the U.S. and Canada—so we are encouraging locals to get out and experience our award-winning city during this off-peak season.”

This year’s campaign features a strong social media presence on Facebook and the two-month-long program will be filled with give aways from meal gift certificates to a grand-prize “staycation” package valued at $1,000. Simply “like” the CVB’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/neworleanscvb and automatically enter to win.

The Be a Tourist campaign coincides with the COOLinary promotion which offers special two and three-course lunch menus for $20 or less and three-course dinner menus for $35 or less, August 1-31, 2011, at more than 40 of the city’s top restaurants. For more information visit: www.coolinaryneworleans.com.

In addition to highlighting summer specials for locals to enjoy, these promotions work to support our business community as we enter our off-peak visitation season. Tourism is New Orleans’ most powerful economic engine. More than 8 million individuals visited the city last year creating $5.3 billion in economic impact. Tourism generates critical funding for schools, streetcars and city services as well as the New Orleans Saints, Hornets, Morial Convention Center and Louisiana Superdome. Without the revenue from hospitality, every family in Louisiana would pay $516 more in taxes each year. 70,000 New Orleanians from across the city are employed in hospitality.

The New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau is a nationally accredited, 1,000-member destination marketing organization and the largest and most successful private economic development corporation in Louisiana. We create $5 billion in new capital each year— more than any other business sector— by attracting millions of visitors, special events and conventions. 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 Washington, D.C., New York, Chicago and four foreign countries. For more information, please visit www.neworleanscvb.com.

* High Res Be a Tourist in Your Own Hometown creative logo available upon request

###