Mardi Gras and Tourism in Louisiana

Welcome to Mardi Gras 2019 ! 

Mardi Gras brings in the big bucks in tourism:

Mardi Gras pumped in $465 million dollars to Orleans Parish alone.
Study also showed Mardi Gras makes close to 2.5 percent of New Orleans’ Gross Domestic Product .
Cost about 7 million dollars to to cleans drains blocking the sewage in Mew Orleans.
Just along one five-block stretch of St. Charles Avenue, the main Mardi Gras parade route, crews recovered 93,000 pounds of the beads from drains.

SWL Tourism:

In Lake Charles it brings in about 16 million dollars.
This economic impact comes in the form of meals purchased in restaurants and hotel rooms rented by guests. It also comes locals who are spending money for Mardi Gras ball gowns, beads, trinkets, and maybe just a little bit of booze

In Lafayette :
parades, and celebrations brought in about $ 465 million to the city and … That’s a lot of tourists and that’s a lot of taxes that you and I are going to … It also comes from locals spending money attending the events.

2017 Tourism report:

• 47.1 million domestic & international visitors to the state of Louisiana
• $17.5 billion total spending by domestic and international visitors, a 4 percent increase in spending over 2016
• $1.8 billion total state and local tax revenues generated by travel and tourism activities in Louisiana, resulting in a 4.5 percent increase year over year
• 236,000 employed in tourism
• Over 14.3 million total passengers arrived and departed Louisiana airports, which is a 6.7 percent increase over 2016
• The travel and tourism industry is the 4th highest employer in the state
• Top 3 – leisure travel activities for Louisiana domestic travelers are:
  1. Visiting friends and relatives
  2. Shopping
  3. Fine dining