The New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) would like the traveling public to know that despite the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, New Orleans continues to be a destination of choice.  The following provides details on the precautionary measures that are being taken by the federal and local governments.

Lake Pontchartrain

On July 5th news broke that tar balls were spotted in Lake Pontchartrain Basin. Lake Pontchartrain is an estuary which is connected to the Gulf of Mexico via small openings known as Rigolets Pass and Chef Mentur Pass. These intrusions were expected, but are relatively inconsequential and minor compared to the issues 100 miles away on the Gulf Coast. While the Lake borders the northern boundary of New Orleans, it is used primarily for locals for recreational purposes. It is not a tourist attraction or drinking water source.

Seafood

Precautionary closures are in place in some of Louisiana’s fishing waters, but the majority of Louisiana’s fishing areas – 70 percent of the coastline – are not in the spill area nor in the current zones and remain open and bountiful.  Seafood from Louisiana is safe and healthy to eat. From the fisherman on the boat to the chef in the kitchen, there is more scrutiny on seafood safety now than ever before, ensuring that only the highest quality products reach market. 

The Louisiana Department of Health and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries along with federal agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), FDA and EPA are testing more seafood than ever.   To date, all the tests are coming back showing that Louisiana seafood is safe to consume.  This is important not only for consumers who need to know their food is safe to eat, but also for fishermen who need to be able to sell their products with confidence. For more information, please visit www.louisianaseafood.com.

Air / Water Quality

Air and water quality also remain safe in New Orleans. Air and water quality samples are taken regularly and tested as they are in every major American city as a matter of course.

Economic Impact of Tourism on New Orleans

• New Orleans  tourism generates $5 billion of new capital flowing into Louisiana each year from visitors, tourists, conventions and events and another nearly $2 billion of business to business spending
• City officials estimate that tourism is responsible for nearly 30% of the city’s annual operating budget and accounts for more than 70,000 jobs in the region
• Tourism generates $200 -$225 million in direct tax revenues for New Orleans. No other business sector generates more tax revenues
• One out of every 12 people in Louisiana is employed as a result of tourism
• New Orleans ’ integrated tourism interests are essentially Louisiana’s third Fortune 500 Company
• The New Orleans cultural economy is a driving catalyst for economic development in other sectors as it lays the foundation for the attractiveness of the Greater New Orleans  area to entrepreneurs, major corporations and professionals in other fields

Tags: BP Oil Spill, Louisiana Tourism, New Orleans

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 11th, 2010 at 3:25 pm and is filed under US Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.