New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau
Tourism Newsletter October 2005

America's most romantic, walkable, historic city is not herself right now. The birthplace of jazz, home of unique French and Spanish architecture, and the originator of the most renowned cuisine on the planet has taken a blow.

The NOMCVB and our entire tourism industry, government and business leaders are united and committed to bring New Orleans back better than ever. The historic French Quarter and nearly all of the hospitality infrastructure survived Hurricane Katrina and her aftermath surprisingly well. The amazing historic texture and fabric of this unique city, all of those things that draw millions of visitors from around the world, resiliently remain.

The Rebirth of New Orleans is making tremendous progress, undaunted by Rita and ahead of schedule. The French Quarter, Central Business District, Warehouse and Arts District, Garden District and Uptown, re-opened to business owners and residents, are awash with activity: assessment, clean up, repairs, and even openings and operations. A number of hotels are making beautiful renovations while accommodating recovery workers, preparing to re-open to visitors in the new year.  Some of the citys famous restaurants, clubs, bars and cafs are welcoming eager patrons.  And NOMCVB executives are on the ground, visiting each tourism business and partner to gather updates, share information and offer our help in leading the citys rebirth.

Our pledge to you is that like our city, we will rise from this disaster to serve you and your clients even better than before.  Along the way, we will do everything we can to inform, assist and provide you with the most current and accurate updates, the very best tools, and the very highest level of service.  NOMCVB staff is fully functioning from offices in Baton Rouge.  Our international offices are operating as normal. Plus, our beautiful new Web site www.neworleanscvb.com offers a wealth of information, tools and resources, including daily updated status reports about the Rebirth of New Orleans. The NOMCVB Tourism Department will also be sending you regular email updates about the Rebirth of New Orleans.  We are available per the contact information below to assist you.

And we cannot wait to welcome you back beginning January 1, 2006, to the authentic culture, heritage and hospitality the New Orleans we all love: Americas most romantic, walkable, historic city.

CITY STATUS

• Airport - Louis Armstrong International Airport is now open for commercial flights. American Airlines has now resumed service, joining Delta, Continental, Southwest and Northwest.
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• Port of New Orleans  - Has reopened to normal cargo traffic. http://www.neworleanscvb.com/static/index.cfm/contentID/269/sectionID/1/subsectionID/0/
   
• Environmental Quality - EPA air quality test results following Katrina indicated absolutely no problems. Initial analysis of samples of Lake Pontchartrain water samples showed earlier this week that it is not nearly the "toxic soup" rumors had indicated.  Bacteria levels are lower than expected, and isolated fish kills, it showed, were due to lowered levels of oxygen, not toxins or oils.
   
• Power - Power has been restored to most of the CBD, as well as areas of the French Quarter and Uptown, including the larger hotels and the Convention Center.  The Quarter, CBD, Warehouse and Arts District, Garden District and other key tourism areas are expected to have full power and gas restored within days.
   
• Water - Progress is being made on getting the citys water and sewerage systems operational
   
• Key Tourism Areas - The French Quarter, CBD, Warehouse and Arts District, Garden District and Algiers have remained dry and suffered the lightest damage in the city.  Most of the citys historic homes and buildings are remarkable intact. 

• Restaurants, Bars and clubs - Some have already opened to serve locals and recovery workers. Many more are expected to be open for business in the next 2-3 weeks.
   
• Safety and Security - The national media is now admitting that much early reporting of violence in the streets, businesses, homes and shelters of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was grossly exaggerated and wholly inaccurate, spreading misconceptions about our city and our people.  The vast majority of our citizens exercised remarkable patience and civic responsibility in the most demanding of situations.  Now, the true message is being shared:  New Orleans is entirely secure.

HOTEL STATUS

The NOMCVB is in constant contact with our hotel and lodging partners and is receiving updates regularly.  Many in our hotel industry have offered to serve as the headquarters, service stations and accommodation for emergency and recovery workers. As these workers are hosted and the city is rebuilt, the hotels will also renovate and update their own infrastructures. 

Many hotels will be back in operation in less than 30 days and servicing recovery workers through December 31^st.  Others will undergo repairs, updating and renovations over the next 90 days to offer you and your clients even more exquisite facilities in the new year.

The following is the projected reopening information for some of our area hotels:

• DoubleTree New Orleans October 2005
• Hotel Monteleone October 2005
• Holiday Inn French Quarter November 2005
• Chateau Lemoyne November 2005
• Hotel Monaco December 2005
• Maison Dupuy January 2006
• Marriott Hotels January 2006
• Omni Hotels October 2005
• Sonesta Hotels October 2005
• Hilton Hotels October 2005
• InterContinental Hotel January 2006
• Sheraton New Orleans October  2005
• W French Quarter October 2005
• W New Orleans October 2005
• Hyatt Regency January 2007
• LePavillon Open
• Le Cirque Open with availability

More hotel information will be added as it becomes available.

NOMCVB STATUS

President and CEO J. Stephen Perry and our Tourism Department staff are fully functional in temporary offices - adjacent to the Lt. Governor, the Greater New Orleans Hotel and Lodging Association, and the City of New Orleans leaders - at the Capitol Annex in Baton Rouge, La. We are planning to move back into our headquarters at 2020 St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans on October 15^th.  Until then, the Tourism Department staff can be contacted as follows:

• Baton Rouge Temporary Office (located in the Lt. Governors Office) Tel: 225-342-0729
• Kim Priez, Vice President of Tourism Tel 504-566-5033, Email: kpriez@neworleanscvb.com
• Connie Campbell, Senior Tourism Sales Manager Tel: 225-342-7987, 504-566-5069, Email: ccampbell@neworleancvb.com
• Leslie Straughan, Tourism Sales Manager Tel: 504-566-5018, , Email: lstraughan@neworleanscvb.com
• Lisa Holland, Tourism Sales Manager Tel: 504-566-5053, Email: lholland@neworleanscvb.com

A detailed NOMCVB employee roster is available through our website at www.neworleanscvb.com under the NOMCVB Employee Information link.

We look forward to working with every one of you and welcoming your clients back to the city President George W. Bush himself has named the Soul of America.

Click on the icon above to read Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieus 4-point plan to rebuild New Orleans and Louisiana.