NEW ORLEANS – Next week, the city of New Orleans and state of Louisiana will welcome the U.S. Travel Association’s largest trade show and generator of U.S. travel, IPW 2016.
Between Saturday, June 18, and Wednesday, June 22, more than 6,400 delegates from 73 countries will convene at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, including more than 1,300 international travel buyers and 500 international media professionals. New Orleans previously hosted the annual five-day event in 2002, 1993 and 1979.
“IPW 2016 will not only bring great opportunities to the city of New Orleans, but to the entire state of Louisiana,” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. “We are hosting seven post-event familiarization tours with participants, putting them among American alligators in scenic cypress swamps and Gulf Coast marsh habitats, on the grounds of majestic antebellum plantation mansions dotting the lower Mississippi River valley, and in walkable small-town downtowns offering great shopping and the works of native artists. The participants will be able to hear our diverse stories that make Louisiana so special.”
At IPW, buyers and sellers will conduct business that is otherwise generated only through an exhaustive number of around-the-world trips. Over the course of three days, more than 100,000 pre-scheduled business meetings will take place between travel buyers and U.S. travel organizations. Sightseeing tours during the weekend, including specialized press tours, allow delegates to experience all that New Orleans and the surrounding area has to offer.
"One of the major objectives of IPW is spotlighting the economic benefits of travel and tourism. Few states understand that equation as well as Louisiana," said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow. "Louisiana epitomizes the idea of rolling out the red carpet for your guests. We are thrilled that IPW's exhibitors and attendees will be able to experience this utterly distinctive American destination again."
While the immediate projected economic impact to the state will be in the millions, the ultimate payoff of IPW will ripple through the local economy for an estimated three years after, generating approximately $1.7 billion in direct economic impact and more than 1 million additional international visitors to the greater New Orleans area and the state of Louisiana over the next three years.
"Our timing for hosting IPW could not be better. Hosting this critical international travel conference fits perfectly with our plans for promoting New Orleans’ tricentennial in 2018,” said New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau President and CEO Stephen Perry. “The combination of hosting IPW this year, and marketing the tricentennial globally in the next couple of years will result in hundreds of millions of new dollars of international capital flowing into New Orleans and Louisiana.”
Tours taking place after the convention are also a part of the experience the Louisiana State Office of Tourism is planning for the media attending IPW. From outdoor adventures and culinary experiences to explorations of the state’s various cities and picturesque towns, international and domestic media will be given a sample of the state’s top offerings and opportunities for visitors to expand their Louisiana experience in areas outside of New Orleans, including Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Houma, Lake Charles, the Northshore, Alexandria, Shreveport and Monroe.
