New Orleans is Ready for Visitors
Topic: Breaking Travel NewsPosted: April 20, 2007Frequently Asked Questions for Visitors to New Orleans that the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc. has compiled
What can I expect when I visit New Orleans?
All visitors want to know if the authentic New Orleans experience still exists and the answer is a resounding yes! That authentic, sensory New Orleans experience that people have come to love is alive and thriving. Family-owned restaurants are back, and the chefs who made them famous are cooking in the kitchens. All of the major hotels are open, ranging from small boutique treasures in the French Quarter to major downtown hotel towers. Thanks to practically citywide hotel refurbishments and upgrades, New Orleans has one of the freshest hotel products of any major city.
Our shops and boutiques - from the French Quarter to Magazine Street - offer the finest and most eclectic shopping options in the U.S. The arts scene is exploding and our galleries are among the finest in North America. There is no need to wait. The time to visit, for business or pleasure, is now.
What areas of the city have returned to normal?
Although there was considerable damage to post-World War II outlying suburban neighborhoods, the historic architecture in the tourist areas is intact. The core of New Orleans' hospitality and tourism destinations are open and thriving, including: the French Quarter, Faubourg Marigny, Warehouse Arts District, Garden District/Uptown, Audubon and University section, Carrollton and Riverbend and historic Algiers on the city's west bank. This includes hotels, restaurants and retail businesses. Also, Jefferson Parish and the Northshore of Lake Ponchartrain are home to more than a dozen bustling neighborhoods.
Will I see evidence of significant hurricane damage on the drive from the airport to the downtown area, at the Convention Center or near conference hotels?
No.
How many hotels are open in the area?
New hotel developments abound in New Orleans, including the opening of the Hilton St. Charles Hotel (formerly Hotel Monaco) next month. All major hotels in New Orleans are open, with the Hyatt Hotel reopening in late 2007. The Fairmont Hotel's opening date is still to be determined. Overall 208 metropolitan area accommodations are open, with 31,000 of 38,000 hotel rooms available. The vast majority of downtown hotel properties are open, many completing renovations and upgrades in the last quarter of 2005. The newly-constructed Harrah's Hotel opened in September 2006, and the Ritz-Carlton and Chateau Sonesta reopened in December 2006 after extensive renovations. The Ritz-Carlton New Orleans' Iberville Suites reopened in early March, after an extensive renovation. The Iberville Suites added 230 rooms to New Orleans' hotel inventory.
Are there still plenty of restaurants in New Orleans?
Yes. Family-owned restaurants are back, and the chefs who made them famous are cooking in their kitchens. New restaurants that opened after the storm are winning numerous awards. There are more than 743 restaurants in Orleans Parish alone-90 percent of pre-Katrina totals-and more than 1,500 restaurants in the Greater New Orleans Metropolitan area.
This month, James Beard Award-winning chef John Besh will re-open La Provence in Lacombe, Louisiana, about an hour's drive from New Orleans. Besh worked with the late former owner, French-born Chef Chris Kerageorgiou, before operating his own restaurants.
What conventions have decided to return to New Orleans?
Convention and meetings business has returned to New Orleans, building upon the successful city-wide meeting of the 17,000 members of the American Library Association in June 2006, the first since Hurricane Katrina. Highlights include:
- The American College of Cardiology met in New Orleans March 24-27 for its 56th Annual Scientific Session and i2 Summit. With 30,000 attendees, the meeting was New Orleans' largest since 2005. The conference received rave reviews from ACC leadership and members alike.
- The Healthcare Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) successfully hosted its annual convention in New Orleans February 25-March 2, 2007, with 24,600 attendees, and record-breaking exhibitor attendance.
- The largest convention in New Orleans of 2006 was the National Association of Realtors, November 8-13. The final count was 23,560 ... a 17 percent increase over the same event in New Orleans in 2002. NAR also had a record number of exhibiting companies: 651.
- A full convention calendar for the fall of 2006 included the American Society of Exploration Geophysicists (7,000), American Society of Human Genetics (5,200), American Society for Reproductive Medicine (6,000), Federation of Societies for Coatings Technology (5,500) and Avaya, a Fortune 500 company with 3,800 delegates.
- In addition to the large association meetings previously planned, advisory boards of major association and hotel corporations are choosing to host their meetings in New Orleans.
- Corporate America is re-discovering New Orleans as a meeting destination, bringing new, shorter-term meetings business to the city in 2007. Whirlpool, Coca-Cola, Konica Minolta, Sherwin Williams and many others have been drawn to New Orleans for the wealth of "voluntourism" community service opportunities available to expand corporate philanthropic efforts. (For example: Habitat for Humanity projects are being added to corporate meeting agendas.)
What groups are holding meetings in New Orleans in 2007?
(Event/Date/Projected Attendance)
Healthcare Information & Management Society /Feb. 24 - March 1 (city-wide)/24,000
American Association of School Administrators/Feb. 28 - March 4/7,000
National Collegiate Athletic Association/March 14 - 17 (city-wide)/20,000
American College of Healthcare Executives/March 18 - 22/4,000
International Association for Dental Research/March 20 - 25/6,000
American College of Cardiology/March 23 - 27 (city-wide)/30,000
American Institute of Steel Construction/Apr. 17 - 21/2,000
Institute of Scrap Recycling/Apr. 17 - 22/3,300
Risk & Insurance Management Society/Apr. 29 - May 4 (city-wide)/30,000
American College of Sports Medicine/May 29-June 2/4,000
Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc./June 10-13/1,000
Essence Festivals, LLC /July 5-8 (city-wide)/25,000
American Association of Law Libraries/July 14-19/2,800
National Council of State Housing Agencies/Sept. 15-18 (city-wide)/10,000
American College of Surgeons/Oct. 6-11 (city-wide)/16,000
American Society for Clinical Pathology/Oct. 17-21/5,000
American Society of Agronomy/Nov. 4-8/4,800
American Academy of Ophthalmology/Nov. 9-13 (city-wide)/25,000
Pennwell Corporation/Dec. 11-14 (city-wide)/17,000
What's the status of the airport?
Louis Armstrong International Airport, as of April 2007, reports 107 flights serving 38 cities (68 percent the number of daily departures and 77 percent the number of destinations; 13,465 seats or 65 percent of our Pre-Katrina level of seats per day). The NOMCVB is working with the airlines and airport officials with regard to convention scheduling to ensure adequate lift to meet demand.
Airlines operating out of the Louis Armstrong International Airport include: Air Tran, American Airlines, Continental, Delta Airlines, Jet Blue, Northwest, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, U.S. Airways and ExpressJet. Delta Airlines recently added non-stop flights to Los Angeles. ExpressJet will begin service this month and offer non-stop service to Austin, San Antonio, Kansas City, Mo., Birmingham, Jacksonville and Raleigh-Durham with 12 flights per day.
On December 6, 2006, The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport launched "Music to Your Eyes," an unprecedented maintenance campaign to transform the environment of the Airport into an even fresher and more visitor-friendly facility.
Airport Shuttle, Inc., is the official ground transportation for Louis Armstrong International Airport, with service to and from New Orleans' hotels and other designated locations. Fare is $13.00 each way. No reservations are required.
Will it be difficult to get flights to and from New Orleans?
No. The NOMCVB and the Louis Armstrong International Airport continue to work with national airlines to insure that groups with large numbers of arrivals can travel to and from the city in a convenient and timely fashion. Through dialogue with the airlines, additional flights have been added and larger planes have been used when airlift is a concern for a particular event.
Are there any taxis?
Yes. Taxis are available on New Orleans streets and at major hotels, with the taxicab bureau reporting approximately 1,200 of their cabs on the streets. Taxi rates are $2.50 plus $1.60 per mile (.20 per one-eighth mile) thereafter. There is also an additional charge of $1.00 per passenger after the first passenger. During peak visitor times (including Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest) taxi rates are $4 per person or the meter rate, whichever is higher. A fixed rate of $28 (one to two people) is charged from the airport to most areas of New Orleans. For parties of more than two, the fare is $12 per person.
What's the status of the Convention Center?
With $60 million in renovations completed, the Morial Convention Center is sporting a brand new look and level of comfort. Renovations include new flooring and furnishings on all three levels, hotel-like finishes, and a brighter, more engaging environment. The same great service and amenities that made the Morial an industry leader are better than ever-high speed wi-fi, 4,000-seat Conference Auditorium, 12 separate/combinable exhibit halls, 140 meeting rooms and a team of seasoned industry professionals. The Center is doing brisk business in 2007---hosting more than 71 major conventions, tradeshows and meetings. This includes many new short-term and future-year bookings. In January and February alone, 18 groups with 75,022 attendees and 68,178 room nights confirmed events at the Center, which currently has 250 full-time employees.
Is New Orleans a safe place for visitors?
Yes. Tourist areas are as safe as those in any big city.
The ratio of police to citizens is actually higher today:
Pre-Katrina Police Force
Number of Officers - 1,680
Number of Citizens - 400,000
Ratio Police/Citizens - 1:238
Post Katrina Police Force
Number of Officers - 1,458
Number of Citizens - 223,000
Ratio Police/Citizens - 1:134
New Orleans still remains under a microscope for international media attention, often resulting in sensational headlines. Crime predominantly is retaliation, drug/gang violence or criminal-on-criminal acts. It is not random acts of violence against visitors. New Orleans still remains -experience wise and statistically- a safe place to visit. New Orleans successfully and safely has welcomed tens of thousands of visitors since June 2006, including Mardi Gras; the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival; business meetings ranging from 10 people to 24,000; and major sporting events such as the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
Law enforcement, government and concerned citizens are all working hard to address crime. Results of long and short-term solutions already have been realized.
The most visible action visitors likely will notice are increased patrols from the New Orleans Police Department and Quality of Life officers, enhancing the already safe record of popular tourist areas. We ask that visitors use good common sense as they would when traveling to any major city. Be mindful of surroundings. Refrain from venturing into areas that are sparsely populated, particularly after dark. Rely on hotel concierge and front desk associates, restaurant managers and the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau Visitor Center (504-566-5011) for any questions.
Why did New Orleans call for National Guard troops?
On June 20, 2006, Governor Blanco, with the support of Mayor Nagin and the New Orleans City Council, requested the assistance of the Louisiana National Guard to patrol the outlying damaged and sparsely populated neighborhoods of the city to keep them safe as they rebuild. This will allow the NOPD to increase patrols in the tourism areas and historic parts of the city, enhancing the already good safety record these districts enjoy.
How has New Orleans prepared for another emergency?
Unveiled on Friday, March 30, 2007, under the new "City Assisted Evacuation Plan, volunteers, both ordinary residents and city workers, will begin picking up elderly residents and those who lack transportation about 54 hours, or 2 ˝ days, before tropical-storm force winds are expected to reach the Louisiana coast. Volunteers would also be responsible for keeping track of where evacuees are sent and helping with pets. Depending on the storm's severity, the plan calls for Mayor Nagin to order a mandatory evacuation 30 hours before hurricane winds begin. No shelters of last resort will be made available.
How has the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau prepared for another emergency?
The CVB's New Orleans Tourism Crisis Management Plan, along with diligent and thorough preparation with an emphasis on safety, will assist visitors and community members in responding appropriately to emergencies. The City of New Orleans and State of Louisiana have for the first time implemented a unified emergency communications plan to ensure the timely flow of information across the region in emergency situations. A comprehensive and effective citywide emergency communications plan for the Greater New Orleans tourism industry has been developed.
Is New Orleans environmentally safe?
Yes. Wrapping up the agency's 11-month effort to pinpoint chemical contamination of soil and water following Hurricane Katrina, Environmental Protection Agency officials gave New Orleans and surrounding communities a final clean bill of health in a report issued August 18, 2006. (source: Times-Picayune, August 18, 2006) In the end, federal and state officials said the contamination they found was typical of many cities.
Is the area's seafood safe to eat?
Yes. Various federal, state and local agencies have conducted tests on the quality and safety of water and food, including the area's seafood and all has been pronounced safe to consume.
How is New Orleans' air quality?
Good. Since Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans has consistently scored in the "good" zone of the official rating scale for air quality as reported by the federal government's air quality service, www.airnow.gov.
Has debris been removed?
Yes. All major storm debris-removal in the French Quarter, Central Business District, Arts & Entertainment District, Magazine Street and St. Charles Avenue has been completed.
How many hospitals are open?
Twelve hospitals are currently open in the metropolitan New Orleans area, including Tulane Hospital and Clinic, Touro Infirmary and Children's Hospital in Orleans Parish, East Jefferson Medical Center and Clinic, Tulane-Lakeside Hospital, Ochsner Clinic Foundation and Hospital, Kenner Regional Medical Center and Omega Hospital in East Jefferson Parish, and West Jefferson Medical Center on the westbank of the Mississippi River. Memorial Baptist Hospital has opened a small portion of its uptown campus, with more improvements being made. University Hospital has recently opened a trauma center and it is being operated by Louisiana State University. It is the first trauma center to open in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina. For the past year and a half, LSU was operating a trauma unit in a New Orleans suburb. The new trauma center will have 26 surgery beds and 10 intensive care beds.
Hospitals convenient to conference locations are:
- Touro Infirmary, 1404 Foucher St., 504-897-7011, www.touro.com
- Tulane University Hospital and Clinic, 1415 Tulane Ave., 504-988-5800, www.tuhc.com
- Ochsner Clinic Foundation and Hospital, 1514 Jefferson Highway, 800-874-8984, www.ochsner.org
- Children's Hospital, 200 Henry Clay Ave., 504-899-9511, www.chnola.org
Have businesses returned to New Orleans?
According to statistics from Louisiana Economic Development, as reported in the Times-Picayune on April 16, 2006, 62,300 businesses have reopened since Hurricane Katrina, of the 81,000 local businesses in the 10 parish metropolitan area. According to the LED, 17, 716 of Orleans Parish's businesses have reopened, translating to almost 90 percent of pre-Katrina numbers.
What's the status of the buses and the streetcars?
RTA services are $1.25, including bus transportation and the streetcar. Twenty-nine bus lines are running, providing 25,000 rides daily. Bus service allows transportation throughout the city's major corridor, extending from the Faubourg Marigny to Riverbend.
The New Orleans Streetcar line is partially back in service, including the leg traveling on Canal Street from the Mississippi River to Mid-City, and from Canal Street north on Carrolton Avenue to City Park at Wisner Boulevard. The Riverfront line is also running. The time line for the full return of the historic St. Charles Avenue line is well into 2007, to include construction of three electrical substations. A small leg from Canal Street to Lee Circle was restored in December 2006. The stations were originally constructed in the 1940s and were in need of upgrading.
Does Amtrak service New Orleans?
Yes. The City of New Orleans train is running to Memphis and Chicago, while the Crescent has resumed its regular route to Atlanta and New York.
What's the status of the Port of New Orleans?
The Port is operating at 100 percent.
How has the cruise industry fared?
The Delphin Renaissance, a 600-passenger luxury ship, was the first cruise ship to call on the Port of New Orleans post-Katrina when it docked December 31, 2005 at the Thalia Street Wharf. Norwegian Cruise Lines, Carnival Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean International have returned. RiverBarge Excursion Lines will soon follow.
Do local students have schools to attend?
Yes. The Greater New Orleans area has approximately 200 parochial schools, including Catholic and private schools (pre-K through 12th grade). There are 56 Orleans Parish charter and traditional public schools open. The Louisiana Recovery Schools District provides education for 28,000 students. Local colleges and universities are open, including Tulane University, Loyola University, the University of New Orleans, Our Lady of Holy Cross College, Xavier University, Dillard University, Southern University of New Orleans, Delgado Community College, Nunez Community College and Louisiana Technical College.
What is the status of the Superdome?
Under the management of SMG, the Louisiana Superdome reopened on Monday, September 25, 2006, with Monday Night Football, when the New Orleans Saints defeated the Atlanta Falcons before the largest audience in ESPN history. The game won the biggest share of the television audience among all TV networks, broadcast or cable, and featured pre-game concerts by the Goo Goo Dolls, U2 and Green Day, a coin toss by former U.S. President George H. W. Bush, and an estimated $20 million pumped into the city's economy. The New Orleans Saints are enjoying a sold-out season for the first time in the franchise's 40-year history, with a waiting list for future years. The New Orleans Saints finished the 2006 season with a record of 11-7, reaching the NFC Championship Game against the Chicago Bears and one game away from a Super Bowl XLI appearance.
What's the status of the New Orleans Arena?
The New Orleans Arena reopened in March 2006. SMG currently has 150 full-time employees, with a part-time work force of approximately 2,500, including detail police officers.
What activities are there for families?
New Orleans is rich in cultural attractions and many of them have reopened, including the Audubon Zoo and the Louisiana State Museum, as well as other museums. Canal Place is open for shoppers and the French Quarter will welcome you with its diverse shops and boutiques, in addition to the Riverwalk Marketplace, and the Children's Museum. There are many tours, ranging from walking tours of the French Quarter to excursions to historic sites in the New Orleans area. For more information, visit www.neworleanscvb.com.
What attractions are open?
Plantation homes, riverboat cruises, city tours, Mardi Gras World, Café Du Monde, Cabildo State Museum, New Orleans Historic Collection, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, Audubon Zoo, National World War II Museum, Harrah's Casino, Aquarium of the Americas, New Orleans Museum of Art, Bestoff Sculpture Garden, National World War II Museum, Contemporary Arts Center, Louisiana Children's Museum, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, the New Orleans Ballet and much more.
Is there shopping in New Orleans?
Yes. The Shops at Canal Place, The Riverwalk and Jax Brewery are open, offering visitors a full complement of national stores, specialty shops and boutiques. Saks Fifth Avenue, the anchor store in The Shops at Canal Place, reopened November 2006. Boutiques, art galleries and antique stores are open throughout the city.
What future economic opportunities does New Orleans have?
Post-Katrina New Orleans is evolving with an influx of entrepreneurs, young professionals and investors who see the city as a frontier for new economic opportunities. Some of those include:
A Georgia development company is working to assemble a vast swath of Mid-City, including the Lindy Boggs Medical Center, to create a nearly contiguous 20-acre site for 1.2 million square feet of retail space for national chains. The site being assembled by Victory Real Estate Investments LLC is huge, covering more than half a square mile from Jefferson Davis Parkway to Carrollton Avenue and from Toulouse to Bienville streets.
The World Trade Center will be redeveloped into 250 residences and a 130-room Renaissance Club Sport Hotel by Marriott. The $160 million project will also involve development of an international cultural museum and the conversion of Spanish Plaza into a public entertainment area. The right to redevelop the building belongs to Full Spectrum NY LLC. Full Spectrum specializes in "green building," or buildings that are energy efficient and made from sustainable materials.
Proposed Riverfront Development: The cooperative endeavor agreement between the city and the Port of New Orleans symbolizes the return of a four-mile stretch of Mississippi riverfront to citizens. It includes visions of riverside green space and the construction of RiverSphere, a museum and river research center, and a riverfront performing arts venue. Plans will be revealed in June 2007.
Lake Forest Plaza Redevelopment: Lake Forest Plaza, an eastern New Orleans shopping mall that has been empty since Hurricane Katrina, will be demolished to make way for a new Lowe's Home Improvement store plus another million square feet of adjoining retail space. The $147 million redevelopment plans call for Lowe's to anchor an open-air, pedestrian-friendly shopping area including a 225,000-square-foot discount retailer and a 100,000-square-foot department store. The Lowe's store will be finished by the end of 2007 and will employ 175 permanent employees.
LIFT Productions Digital Media Studio/Soundstage Training Complex: The Film Factory is a 300,000 square-foot world class motion picture production studio that includes four state-of-the-art sound stages, a film training institute, and distribution house under one roof. The Film Factory will be owned and operated by LIFT Productions, a Louisiana-based company that has produced and financed more than 30 motion pictures and television movies since it opened its doors in 2002. The Film Factory will be located on 18 acres of land just west of the French Quarter, and will be the first facility in the United States to house a state-of-the-art training institute on an active motion picture studio lot. The $185 million project is expected to be completed in the fall of 2008.
Trump Tower Condominium Development: Set to be completed in 2009, once constructed, the Trump Tower will become the tallest building in the city of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana, at sixty-seven stories. At a height of over 750 feet, it will also be the tallest building along the Gulf Coast outside of Houston. It will be a multi-use building with the ground floors allocated for retail shopping, the lower floors will be luxury condo-hotels and the upper floors will be luxury condominiums. The development will have an economic impact of $100 million.
How is the NOMCVB marketing and promoting New Orleans tourism?
In mid-April in New York, the NOMCVB will kick off a 10-market media tour and series of events which brings the best of New Orleans culture to major metropolitan cities. Along with leisure visitors, the tour promotes the destination for conventions and meetings to meeting professionals, associations and corporate decision makers. Additional stops include London, Paris, Chicago and Washington, D.C.
The New Orleans CVB launched an aggressive, strategic marketing, public relations and direct sales campaign, designed to celebrate its authentic culture, lure domestic and international visitors back, preserve the city's leading industry (hospitality) and overcome misperceptions about New Orleans among consumers. "A Whole New Orleans," a 30-minute travel television show, showcasing the eclectic nature and vibrant culture of the city, is in production and could be on the air on 50 countries by this spring.
"Forever New Orleans" is an international branding campaign that celebrates a spirit of swagger, showcasing the hospitality industry's confidence in New Orleans as a destination. It uses headlines such as "New Orleans is Open. To Just About Anything.", "Soul is Waterproof" and "Old World, New Promise," which are appearing on billboards and magazines throughout the US.
What is the population of New Orleans? What was the population before Hurricane Katrina?
Post-Katrina, Orleans Parish has 223,000 residents. Pre-Katrina, this number was 485,000. Post-Katrina, the metropolitan New Orleans area has 1.1 million residents. Pre-Katrina, this number was 1.3 million.
How did New Orleans flood?
Shortly after Hurricane Katrina, floodwaters resulted from breaching and overtopping of the city's levee system.
How much of the city was affected by floods?
Flooding affected 80 percent of the land area of the city and was concentrated in the Mid-City and Broadmoor areas, as well as the outlying neighborhoods of Lakeview, the Lower Ninth Ward, Gentilly and New Orleans East.
Is New Orleans dry?
Yes, flooding has been completely drained, in all parts of the city, since October 2005.
I'd like to help the New Orleans recovery when I'm here. Are there opportunities to do this?
Yes! Since Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, New Orleans has been the beneficiary of an incredible outpouring of support. From convention visitors to leisure travelers, church groups to high school and college students, people have shown incredible generosity in giving of their time and talent, and a great deal of elbow grease, helping the city of New Orleans in its recovery and restoration. Governor Kathleen Blanco and Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu have formed an official organization that matches volunteer opportunities with volunteers, called Volunteer Louisiana. Visit www.volunteerlouisiana.gov to get started.
Seeing is Believing!
Now is the perfect opportunity to rediscover New Orleans ... the most authentic, walkable, historic, soulful destination in America. For visitor testimonials or more information, please visit www.neworleanscvb.com.