City and CVB Awards

The city of New Orleans and the CVB have been recognized nationally for excellence. View a complete list of city accolades and CVB awards.


New Orleans Destination Awards

2013 Destination Awards and Honors

  • New Orleans named a Top Summer Destination in the 2013 Gogobot Travelers' Favorite Awards. The Top Summer Destinations are chosen based on the opinions of over 2.5 million members worldwide, May 2013
  • New Orleans awarded Silver in Favorite Big City Destination and Gold for Favorite Culinary Destination by National Tour Association, April 2013
  • Trade Show News Network announces New Orleans is number five of the 2012 Top Trade Shows in the United States by net square footage, April 2013
  • Just in time for Valentine's Day, Orbitz named New Orleans as the third Sexiest City of 2013, February 2013
  • Fodor's editors placed New Orleans in the Top 25 Places to Go in 2013, January 2013
  • ABC Travel Guides for Kids named New Orleans in their list of Top Seven US Family Destinations for 2013, January 2013
  • For the second year in a row, Southern Living named New Orleans as one of the "Tastiest Towns in the South," January 2012

    2012 Destination Awards and Honors

    • The Huffington Post named New Orleans as one of the 20 Best New Year's Eve Celebrations, December 2012
    • Newsweek names Mayor Mitch Landrieu one of five most innovative mayors in America, December 2012
    • New Orleans was named the Winner of the Groups Today Readers' Choice Awards for the southern region, December 2012 
    • Yahoo! announces New Orleans is in the top 10 in the annual tally of top destination searches of 2012, December 2012
    • Away.com, a dicision of Orbitz.com, names New Orleans a Top Holiday Getaway for a Foodie, December 2012 
    • CNN Travel placed New Orleans in the Top Eight World's Truly Romantic Cities, November 2012
    • According to Travel + Leisure readers who have visited New Orleans, New Orleans tops the list as America's Favorite City 2012 Overall, as well as the Top City for: Cafes, Music Scene, Girlfriends Getaway, Antique Stores, Local Pride, Happy Hour, People-Watching, Wild Weekends, Singles Scene, Street Performers, Flea Market and New Year's Eve, November 2012
    • The City of New Orleans received a World Tourism Award for its outstanding accomplishments in the travel industry, November 2012
    • New Orleans is chosen as the Best Southern Destination Line in the 2012 Group Today Readers' choice awards, October 2012
    • Conde Nast Traveler's Readers' Choice Awards place New Orleans in the Top 10 Cities in the United States, October 2012 
    • Away.com, a division of Orbitz.com, names New Orleans as one of the The Five Most Affordable U.S. Cities for Travelers, September 2012
    • Away.com, a division of Orbitz.com, names New Orleans among the Best City for Bachelorette and Bachelor Parties, September 2012
    • New Orleans was named a "Top City in the U.S and Canada" in Travel + Leisure's 2012 World's Best Awards, July 2012
    • New Orleans' French Quarter named One of the Top 20 Places Every American Should See by The Palm Beach Post, July 2012
    • Kiplinger named New Orleans as the Best City for Retirees, July 2012
    • New Orleans named a top 10 shopping destination by Germany-based publication AMERICA Journal, June 2012
    • Travel + Leisure named New Orleans as the best U.S. city for shopping, based on consumer experience, June 2012
    • TripAdvisor ranked New Orleans among the most affordable cities in the U.S. for domestic travelers based on one night's accommodation, dinner for two, cocktails and a taxi ride, June 2012
    • AAA Southern Traveler's Annual Best of the South issue named New Orleans as the Best Large City for a Weekend Getaway for the third consecutive year , June 2012
    • New Orleans ranked in TripAdvisor's 2012 Top 25 Travelers' Choice World Destinations and in Top 25 Travelers' Choice U.S. Destinations, May 2012
    • Travel Weekly named New Orleans as one of "America's Best Cities for Hipsters," April 2012
    • Southern Living Magazine named New Orleans one of the Tastiest Towns in the South, March 2012
    • Yahoo Travel named New Orleans one of America's Best Cities for Dating, February 2012
    • American Airlines and GayCities named New Orleans a top pick for the world's best gay cities of 2011, February 2012

    2011 Destination Awards and Honors

    • The Wall Street Journal's Marketwatch released its 2011 "Best Cities for Business" list, a survey analyzing 102 metro areas in the country. This year, Greater New Orleans was named the number one most improved market for business in the United States rising 44 positions, from 77 in 2010 to 33 in 2011, December 2011
    • Frequent travelers in the Travel + Leisure magazine 2011 America's Favorite Cities survey voted New Orleans as the number one destination for live music/concerts and bands, wild weekends, cocktail hour, singles/bar scene, fine-dining restaurants, friendliest people, cafes, antique stores, flea markets and people-watching. T+L also found that New Orleanians are most proud of their city compared to residents of the other 34 cities in the survey.
    • Under30CEO named New Orleans number one on the list of Top 10 Cities for Young Entrepreneurs 2011, October 2011
    • New Orleans was listed as a top food and wine destination in TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Awards, October 10, 2011
    • Bleacher Report named New Orleans the "Best NFL City to Party In," October 2011
    • New Orleans received a bronze designation as a Bicycle Friendly Community from the League of American Bicyclists, September 2011
    • New Orleans was named a top five budget-friendly vacation destination by GayTravel.com, August 2011
    • New Orleans ranked number three on TripAdvisor's® inaugural TripIndex, a cost comparison of 15 hotspots in the United States, making the city one of the top domestic deal destinations in the country, July 25, 2011
    • New Orleans ranked number six among cities in the United States and Canada according to the results of the Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards readers' survey. New Orleans moves up from its number seven ranking on last year's list, July 2011
    • AAA South Magazine readers named New Orleans: Best large city for a weekend, Best Guys Getaway, Best Girls' Getaway, Best Small Hotel--Columns Hotel, Best Museum of Art-New Orleans Museum of Art, Best Restored Hotel--Roosevelt Hotel, Best Fine Dining--Commander's Palace, Best Arts and Crafts Fest-- Jazz and Heritage Festival, June 2011
    • New Orleans ranked second on Priceline's list of the top 50 destinations for July 4, 2011, June 2011
    • Shutterfly.com named New Orleans one of the "Ten Most Joyous Cities in the US," June 2011
    • New Orleans was chosen as a "Best Day Trip" destination in FestivalSouth's 2011 Best of the Pine Belt awards, June 2011
    • New Orleans ranked seventh in TripAdvisor's Travelers' Choice 2011 Best Destinations, May 2011
    • Rent.com chose New Orleans as one of the "Top Ten Cities for Single Men," May 2011
    • Travel + Leisure's online report named New Orleans' Garden District as one of America's Most Beautiful Landmarks, April 2011
    • Travel + Leisure Magazine named City Park of New Orleans one of 12 of "America's Coolest City Parks," April 2011
    • Forbes named New Orleans the number one city in the country for "Brain Gain," noting that the city gained roughly 36,666 residents with college degrees within the past two years, February 2011
    • New Orleans was named one of the 10 Best Cities to Hold a Business Meeting by Globe and Mail, January 2011
    • AOL Travel named New Orleans a top budget Destination for 2011, January 2011

    2010 Destination Awards and Honors

    • Readers of Country Roads magazine named New Orleans the best "Weekend Getaway" in the magazine's annual Favorite Things survey, December 2010
    • New Orleans was named the most affordable dining city in the US by Zagat
    • Travel + Leisure (T+L) announced that New Orleans was voted the number one urban destination in the country for New Year's Eve, Neighborhood Joints and Cafés, People-Watching, Singles/Bar Scene, Cocktail Hour and the overall category of Nightlife in the 2010 America's Favorite Cities survey
    • The American Bus Association selected the Satchmo Summerfest as one of the best events to experience via motorcoach in 2011, September 2010
    • Bing Travel, an airfare prediction website and search engine, named New Orleans one of the 15 "Coolest North American Cities," August 2010
    • Ranked number one on Travel + Leisure's list of America's Best Cities for Singles, July 2010
    • Travel + Leisure, ranked seventh on top 10 cities list for the first time since Hurricane Katrina, July 2010
    • AAA Southern Traveler, Favorite Large City for a Weekend Getaway, Summer 2010
    • ESPYS, July 14, 2010,  New Orleans Saints, Best Team and New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, Best Male Athlete, Best NFL Player and Best Championship Performance
    • WalletPop.com (5,000,000+ visitors per month), named one of the top 10 cities for hotels and vacations, 2010
    • TripAdvisor® Travelers' Choice Awards, Winner of Best Destination in the U.S. and World for Nightlife, May 4, 2010
    • TripAdvisor® Travelers' Choice Awards, Third Best Destination in the U.S for Great Food and Wine, May 4, 2010
    • TripAdvisor® Travelers' Choice Awards, Fourth Best Destination in the World for Great Food and Wine, May 4, 2010
    • TripAdvisor® Travelers' Choice Awards, Ninth Best Destination in the U. S. for Culture & Sightseeing, May 4, 2010
    • TripAdvisor® Travelers' Choice Awards, 15th Best Destination in the U.S. for Top 25 Destinations, May 4, 2010


    New Orleans CVB Awards

    2013 New Orleans CVB Awards

    • TravelAge West announced that New Orleans has been recognized by their award-winning editorial team for inclusion in the 2013 Western Agents' Vote of Excellence (WAVE) Awards.  New Orleans was nominated for the Destination with the Highest Client Satisfaction, March 2013

    2012 New Orleans CVB Awards

    • New Orleans CVB President and CEO Stephen Perry received a World Travel Market Globe Award. Perry was honored for his instrumental role in restoring the city as a tourism destination following Hurricane Katrina, and his tireless work to return New Orleans to its position as premiere destination through planned events, safe guarding and creating thousands of travel and tourism jobs in the process, November 2012
    • New Orleans 4 Agents.com, a website developed by the New Orleans CVB for travel agents to become certified on how to sell New Orleans as a premiere destination, received the 2012 Travel Weekly Magellan Gold Award, October 2012
    • Meetings and Conventions has consistently honored the New Orleans CVB for excellence since 1984. Now the New Orleans CVB is renowned as a Hall of Fame inductee for Gold Service recognition.
    • Successful Meetings magazine presented the New Orleans CVB with 2012 CVB, DMO, and Tourist Board award. The New Orleans CVB was ranked one of the top CVBs in the South Eastern United States, marking the 21st time the CVB received this honor.
    • Corporate & Incentive Travel magazine recognized New Orleans CVB for Distinctive Achievement. Superior service and support, promotional assistance, and coordination and liaison with local attractions are a few of the qualities readers recognized as exceptional in New Orleans.
    • Smart Meetings magazine presents a 2012 Platinum Choice Award to New Orleans CVB. The Platinum Choice Awards recognize excellence in service and amenities among meeting facilities in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. The New Orleans CVB set exemplary standards in various categories, including ambience, amenities, resources, guest services, meeting space and packages, recreation and dining.
    • Stephen Perry, President & CEO of the New Orleans CVB, was honored by Irvin Mayfield's Jazz Playhouse with a Martin Luther King, Jr. Jazz Award. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Jazz Award honors individuals who have contributed to enriching their community, advancing cultural awareness through music and art, and furthering economic opportunity while adhering to the principals of non-violence, January 15, 2012

    2011 New Orleans CVB Awards

    • The New Orleans CVB was recognized by its customers as one of the top five CVBs in the world with the prominent Gold Service Elite Award for 2011 from Meetings and Conventions Magazine. The New Orleans CVB has received the Gold Service Award every year since 1984, and since the Elite award was introduced in 2001, the New Orleans CVB has been selected as Elite seven times in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2011.
    • "A Day in New Orleans" a CVB marketing video produced in 2011 by Digital Bayou HD Productions, was selected by The International Academy of Visual Arts to receive a 2011 Davey Award. The video was submitted and honored in the category of Online Film and Video: Travel/Tourism. The Davey Awards is an international creative award honoring the finest creative work from the best small firms, agencies and companies worldwide. www.daveyawards.com
    • Association Conventions and Facilities Magazine, 2011 Distinctive Achievement Awards
    • Corporate & Incentive Travel Magazine, 2011 Award of Excellence
    • Marketing Award of Excellence in Advertising from the New Orleans chapter of the American Marketing Association, New Orleans CVB and New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation's 2010 shared print campaign, June 9, 2011
    • Winner of Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Big Apple Award, Crisis Communications, Non-Profit Organizations, for work to combat misperceptions regarding New Orleans travel following the BP Oil Spill, May 2011
    • PR Week Magazine's Crisis Management Campaign of the Year, One of five national finalists for a 2010 Public Relations Campaign, March 2011
    • Winner of Successful Meetings' 2011 PINNACLE Award. This marks the 20th time the New Orleans CVB was chosen for this honor, January 2011
    • Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Adrian Award, Gold, for a 2010 Public Relations Campaign, January 2011
    • HSMAI Adrian Award, Silver (2) for two 2010 Public Relations Campaigns, January 2011
    • New Orleans CVB VP of Communications and Public Relations Kelly Schulz named one of HSMAI's 2010 "Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Sales and Marketing", January 2011

    2010 New Orleans CVB Awards

    • Association Conventions and Facilities Magazine, 2009 Distinctive Achievement Awards
    • Meetings and Conventions magazine subscribers and meeting planners awarded the New Orleans CVB with the 2010 Gold Service Award, voting the New Orleans CVB as one of the best convention and visitors bureaus in the world, August 2010
    • Subscribers of Insurance & Financial Meetings Management voted the New Orleans CVB as the recipient of the magazine's World Class Award, recognizing CVBs for outstanding service, July 2010
    • Professional Convention Management Association, Spirit Award, recognizing an organization that has significantly affected lives in a charitable or humanitarian way through the meetings and convention industry, presented January 2010
    • Stephen Perry, Steve Kemble Leadership Award, January 2010

    2009 New Orleans CVB Awards

    • Destination Marketing Accreditation Program, DMAP, an international accreditation program developed by the Washington, D.C. based Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI). In earning the DMAP accreditation, destination marketing organizations (DMOs) communicate to their community, buyers and potential visitors that their DMO has attained a significant measure of excellence; December 2009
    • Donna Karl, CMP, Top Eco-Leaders, Tradeshow Week Magazine, October 2009
    • Tweet Elite: one of the top-five CVBs in the nation to market the destination via Twitter, New York-based Development Counsellors International's survey, July 2009
    • Stephen Perry, Top 25 CVB Executives, Tradeshow Week Magazine, July 27, 2009
    • Award of Merit from the New Orleans chapter of PRSA, "Great Ideas" category, 2009
    • First Place, North American Travel Journalists Association, for a Dallas Morning News feature story, 2009
    • PR Week Magazine, CVB was selected among all travel industry organizations for a cover story and photo; case study profiled our post-Katrina PR strategies, March 23, 2009
    • Association Conventions and Facilities Magazine, 2009 Distinctive Achievement Awards
    • Association Meetings Magazine, 2009 Inner Circle Award
    • Insurance and Financial Meetings Management Magazine, 2009 World Class Award
    • Facilities and Destinations Magazine, 2009 Top Destination Award
    • Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) 2009 Silver Award Public Relations
    • HSMAI 2009, Bronze Award, Public Relations (2)

    2008 New Orleans CVB Awards

    • HSMAI 2008, Gold Award, Feature Placement Print - Consumer Newspaper
    • HSMAI 2008, Silver Award, Re-Launch of Existing Product
    • HSMAI 2008, Bronze Award, Feature Placement category - Radio
    • PRSA, New York Chapter Big Apple Awards for excellence in public relations, Honorable Mention, 2008
    • PRSA, New Orleans Chapter Award of Merit 2008 for re-imaging the city post-Katrina
    • Shop America SASI Awards 2008, 24nola.com and Forever New Orleans ad campaign
    • Association Conventions and Facilities Magazine, 2008 Distinctive Achievement Awards
    • Meetings & Conventions Gold Service ELITE Award, 2008

    2007 New Orleans CVB Awards

    • HSMAI Adrian Award 2007, Best in Show, 24nola.com
    • HSMAI Adrian Award 2007, Silver Award, Forever New Orleans ad campaign
    • HSMAI Adrian Award 2007, Gold Award, Public Relations
    • HSMAI Adrian Award 2007, Bronze Award, Public Relations
    • Successful Meetings Magazine, 2007 Pinnacle Award for being one of the best CVBs in America
    • Corporate & Incentive Travel Magazine, 2007 Award of Excellence

    2006 New Orleans CVB Awards

    • Meetings & Conventions Gold Service ELITE Award, 2006
    • Corporate & Incentive Travel Magazine, 2006 Award of Excellence