New Orleans & Co. debuts 10-year plan
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A trumpet player on Bourbon Street. Photo: Ryan Murphy/Getty Images
New Orleans' leading tourism agency unveiled a 10-year plan that its leaders say represents a new, holistic commitment to community health.
Why it matters: For years, tourism and hospitality leaders have faced criticism that their support falls short of investing in the people and culture-bearers who make New Orleans a valuable place to visit.
- But the new plan, New Orleans & Co. CEO Walt Leger says, is "a very firm commitment ... that we want to have a stronger community, not just a stronger tourism industry."
The big picture: The new document replaces 2009's tourism-focused plan with a 10-year roadmap to improve economic opportunities, invest in neighborhoods, improve regional connection, sustain culture, and tell the city's "authentic story."
- Its goal is not for New Orleans & Co. to singlehandedly tackle every issue, Leger says. Instead, it clarifies where it should lead and where it should support existing efforts.
- "We should be, and maybe we should have have been, leading in those ways, but we were focused on implementation of a tourism master plan," Leger says. "Now, we're focused on a vision for the whole community. ... That's a pretty significant reset."
Between the lines: It "hasn't come without its criticism from people in the tourism industry," Leger says.
- The safe thing to do, he notes, would have been to come up with a tourism-specific master plan.
- "The downside of that is that you leave important things unaddressed, and those important things are foundational to the economy, not just the tourism industry," Leger says. "Working people need ... high-quality early-childhood education and child care. It needs to be accessible and affordable. That's true of our industry. It's true of every person in our whole community."
How they did it: The new plan was written in partnership with the Greater New Orleans Foundation, GNO Inc., the Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission, the New Orleans Chamber, and the Urban League of Louisiana, plus conversations with "over 250 stakeholders," New Orleans & Co. says.
What's next: The first phase of the plan calls for developing implementation teams and advocating for things like efficient transit and affordable housing.
Go deeper: Review the full plan