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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?
Filed under: Business
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Justin Glow Jan 28th 2007 3:02PM
I was at the first Mardi Gras after Katrina (and the 5 before), and there was a serious lack of long-distance tourists. Almost everyone I talked to was from the surrounding states, when -- pre-Katrina -- I usally see and talk to people from all corners of the world. I don't think that this advertising campaign will do much for long-distance Mardi Gras travelers.