NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau released the latest information regarding what’s new in the New Orleans hospitality industry this month:
What’s New in New Orleans’ Hospitality Industry – January 2017
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
New Orleans continues to garner national and international attention as a world-class destination. Recent honors include:
• New Orleans was named one of 2016’s Most Inspiring Cities by TravelBird.
• Thrillist named New Orleans one of the Most Romantic Cities in America.
• Condé Nast Traveler has named New Orleans the No. 5 Best Big City in the U.S. as a part of the publication’s Reader’s Choice Awards 2016.
• New Orleans’ Compère Lapin was named one Playboy’s Best Bars of 2016.
• New Orleans’ National WWII Museum was named No. 4 Museum in the U.S. and No. 11 Museum in the World by TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Awards 2016.
• One of the Top 25 Coastal Cities in the World by Chicago Line Cruises.
RECENT ANNOUNCEMENTS
• The Sazerac Company has announced plans for The Sazerac House visitor attraction and beverage alcohol museum.
Guests will be able to learn about the spirited history of the iconic Sazerac Cocktail, the official cocktail of New Orleans, as well as many other original New Orleans brands, along with exploring the unique role New Orleans has played in the bourbon and rum industries and in American cocktail culture.
• Two new events, the Bloody Mary Festival – New Orleans and the New Orleans Bourbon Festival, will be added to an impressive list of more than 130 festivals hosted annually in New Orleans.
The New Orleans Bourbon Festival will host three days of bourbon-focused events, including a bourbon seminar series, grand tastings, sponsor bourbon dinners and an awards brunch from March 24 – 26.
The New Orleans Bourbon Festival includes a series of ticketed events located between the New Orleans Marriott at the Convention Center and the Sugar Mill.
The Bloody Mary Festival- New Orleans will showcase 12 of New Orleans' most innovative and unique Bloody Marys on March 26, from 12:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. at the Howlin' Wolf.
The Bloody Mary Festival- New Orleans is a ticketed event, allowing attendees unlimited Bloody Mary tasting while voting for their favorite cocktail.
• The Historic Carver Theater has announced new programming beginning Jan. 7 featuring weekly jazz, brass and blues concerts following the theater’s $8 million renovation.
The 16,000-square foot music and entertainment venue is located in the heart of the Tremé neighborhood in New Orleans, boasting a unique combination of history, character and state-of-the-art sound and lighting, creating a first-class musical experience.
The 2017 schedule features $10 weekly music with local food trucks and craft beer.
UPCOMING EVENTS AND DEVELOPMENTS
• The 4th Annual King Cake Festival will return to Champions Square to celebrate New Orleans’ favorite treat on Sunday, Jan. 29, from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Benefitting babies and children at Ochsner Hospital, King Cake Festival will feature tastings from 15 local bakeries and vendors and live music by Remedy, Roddie Romero & the Hub City All-Stars and Flow Tribe.
• The Mardi Gras season kicks off in New Orleans on Friday, Jan. 6, known as Twelfth Night. Parades will continue through Mardi Gras Day on Tuesday, Feb. 28.
Carnival season welcomes more than one million revelers to the streets of New Orleans, generating more than $840 million for the local economy each year.
The Krewe of Rex chose the colors of Mardi Gras in 1872, with purple representing justice, gold representing power and green representing faith.
More than 500,000 King Cakes are sold each year in New Orleans between Jan. 6 and Fat Tuesday, and another 50,000 are shipped out-of-state via overnight courier.
Many krewes are known for their unique handmade throws, such as the Krewe of Zulu’s coconuts and the Krewe of Muses’ shoes.
HOTELS
• The National WWII Museum has announced plans for a $65 million, 234-room, eight-story hotel with meeting space.
The addition of a WWII Museum hotel is part of the museum’s ongoing property expansion in the Warehouse District of New Orleans.
AIRPORT
• Construction is underway on a new terminal at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, set to debut in 2018.
This $826 million project will feature 30 gates, a 2,000-car parking garage, a central utility plant and a ground transportation staging area.
The new terminal is projected to have a $3.2 billion annual economic impact on tourism in New Orleans.
The airport has also added a variety of new flights:
• British Airways will begin nonstop service from London to New Orleans on March 27.
This new international nonstop flight will depart four times per week from London Heathrow to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, connecting New Orleans to over 130 destinations in Europe and beyond.
• Choice Air launched year-round nonstop service from San Pedro Sula, Honduras to New Orleans which began on Dec. 17, 2016.
This new flight departs on Wednesdays and Saturdays from Ramón Villeda Morales International Airport to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.
• JetBlue
Daily, nonstop flights to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport from New Orleans began Sept. 29, 2016.
JetBlue is celebrating its 15th year flying to and from New Orleans.
• Allegiant Airlines
One twice-weekly departure to Tulsa International Airport began May 26, 2016.
One twice-weekly departure to Concord Regional Airport began Nov. 18, 2016.
One twice-weekly departure to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport will begin in February 2017.
Nonstop flights from Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina to New Orleans will begin on Feb. 16.
• Condor will begin one new twice-weekly departure from Frankfurt, Germany to New Orleans, on May 3.
This will be New Orleans’ second nonstop flight to Europe since the 1980s with the British Airways flight to London launching in March, and will connect passengers from more than 120 other cities in the Eastern hemisphere to New Orleans through Condor’s partner airlines.
Flights will depart on Wednesdays and Sundays on a Boeing 767-300ER aircraft with 259 seats.
The flight is estimated to bring nearly 10,000 people to New Orleans annually.
• GLO Airlines
Three times weekly departure to Huntsville International Airport began on Sept. 30, 2016.
MEETINGS AND CONVENTIONS
Meetings (3,000 or more in attendance) include:
• Wizard World New Orleans Comic Con | Jan. 6 – 8
This year’s event will welcome celebrities including Tom Felton, Christopher Lloyd, Stephen Amell and more.
Wizard World comic and gaming con brings together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop culture, movies, graphic novels, comics, television, sci-fi, toys, video gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more.
Projected attendance: 18,000
• Urban Expositions Halloween & Party Expo | Jan. 14 – 17
The Urban Expositions Halloween & Party Expo is the industry event for Halloween, party and celebration. This is the one event where attendees can access a full selection of costumes, accessories, décor, party supplies, retail solutions and new connections for their business.
Projected attendance: 6,500
• The National Automobile Dealers Association Convention & Expo | Jan. 26 – 29
The National Automobile Dealers Association is celebrating its 100-year anniversary at the Convention & Expo in New Orleans. This expo is the world’s largest international gathering of franchised new-vehicle dealers.
Projected attendance: 18,000
