New Orleans Makes Jokes To Draw Tourists

17 months after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, officials are trying bring tourists back to the city with a new advertising campaign focused on humor.

In the run up to Mardi Gras next month — the time of year when the city generally sees the highest influx of visitors — Big Easy advertisers will run campaigns like one featuring an image of the city’s Aquarium of the Americas with the caption: “This is the only part of New Orleans that is still underwater.”

Before Katrina, tourism was a booming industry, generating $5.5 billion annually, and funding one-third of the city’s operating budget. Bringing back visitors is seen as essential in rejuvenating the battered city’s fledgling economy.

Have you been to New Orleans post-Katrina? If not, would a humorous ad campaign convince you to give it a shot?