The first half of 2023 has been successful for New Orleans' most important industry.  The year started with a bang when we hosted the 71st Annual Miss Universe competition where our city and culture were on full display for an international broadcast audience of 500 million people in 165 countries.

For Mardi Gras, New Orleans & Company partnered with the city of New Orleans, Grounds Krewe and Can Manufacturer's Institute (CMI) with support from other non-profits dedicated to resilience and sustainability to expand upon previous Carnival recycling efforts with the new Recycle Dat! Initiative collecting 142,974 used beverage cans from four hub recycling locations along the St. Charles Avenue parade route.

The Spring Festival season was one to remember. Hogs for the Cause on the UNO Lakefront was a success, raising $3.6 million for Pediatric Brain Cancer. French Quarter Festival celebrated its 40th anniversary with an estimated 875,000 attendees, the largest number in its history. The Zurich Classic broke the record for highest attendance in a single day in tournament history on Saturday and followed that up with a strong performance on Sunday. New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival saw over 460,000 attendees visit the Fairgrounds over the seven-day event.

For the second year in a row, the TODAY Show with Hoda & Jenna broadcasted live from New Orleans' Jackson Square on Monday, May 1 and recorded a second show that aired on Tuesday, May 2 meeting with several of the city's culture bearers. Clips from the two shows are available here.

FESTIVAL SEASON ROLLS ON

• In May, the festival fun spreads to Mid-City and Bayou St. John with Bayou Boogaloo, May 19-21, and the New Orleans Greek Festival, May 26-28.
• Essence Festival of Culture returns to Downtown New Orleans June 29-July 3. The concert series held at the Caesars Superdome is headlined by Missy Elliott, Ms. Lauryn Hill and Megan Thee Stallion. Tickets are available here.
• During Restaurant Week from June 19-25, visitors will be able to find multi-course curated menus from some of the best restaurants in New Orleans. A list of participating restaurants is available here.
• Tales of the Cocktail will take place at a variety of New Orleans hotels, restaurants and bars July 23-28. The theme for 2023 event is VITALIZE to encapsulate the hospitality community's vibrancy and adaptability.
• 2023 Festival Calendar Highlights are available here.

AUDUBON AQUARIUM REOPENING

• The Audubon Nature Institute announced it will complete its renovation of the Audubon Aquarium of Americas and Insectarium and reopen on June 8. This project is the biggest renovation of the Aquarium since it opened on Canal Street in 1990.
• In 2020, Audubon announced it would be moving Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium from the U.S. Custom House on Canal Street to the Aquarium campus on the river, building a combined experience that re-envisions Audubon's downtown guest experience and educational programming. The new renovation will include approximately 17,000 square feet of new exhibit space constructed inside the existing walls of the Aquarium as well as 2,500 square feet of the existing Aquarium breezeway space that will be enclosed to create a shared public lobby.
• Tickets to visit the renovated Audubon Aquarium are on sale now, click here.

NEW DEVELOPMENTS

• Southern Rail Commission (SRC) and Amtrak announced key project milestones for passenger rail projects within the I-20 Corridor and along the Gulf Coast.
• Gulf Coast Passenger Rail - Amtrak is currently running familiarization trips for the highly anticipated return of passenger rail service between New Orleans and Mobile.
• Baton Rouge to New Orleans Rail - Representatives from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development discussed federal funds the state is currently pursuing to advance the Baton Rouge to New Orleans Passenger Rail project.

LEADERSHIP CHANGES

• Louisiana Children's Museum announced a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Tifferney M. White. White is considered a nationally recognized leader in the children's museum field. She previously served as Chief Learning Officer of Discovery Place.
• At Discovery Place, she developed the strategy and vision of learning experiences across the Discovery Place museums, the STEM Education Studio, outreach opportunities, and most recently overseeing the two children's museums.
• The Convention Center recently announced a new Innovation Team to focus on developing creative approaches to optimize, streamline, and transform convention center operations to assist the venue in delivering its mission to advance innovation.
• In addition to the Innovation Team, the Convention Center recently added a Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) to their team, becoming the first convention center in the country to do so. CDO Rocsean Spencer will work in supporting the organization's policies and directives that mitigate bias, increase equitable outcomes, and foster respect and inclusion, and ensure that the communications and People Services programs reflect the organization's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion goals.

HOTELS 

• In 2024, Nobu Hotel New Orleans and restaurant are set to open within the newly created Caesars New Orleans, following a multimillion-dollar transformation of Harrah's New Orleans.
• Kimpton Hotel Fontenot announced that King, the new French brasserie, is now open. The restaurant is part of the hotel's expansion into the historic building next door offering seating for 125 people. King is led by Executive Chef Samuel Peery.
• For more information on hotel news and developments click here.

ATTRACTIONS

• In line with Disney's 100th Anniversary, The National WWII Museum in New Orleans will open a special exhibit, “The Walt Disney Studios and World War II,” which explores how one of America's most beloved entertainment companies helped achieve Allied victory. Disney and history lovers alike may visit the exhibit from now through September 24 in the Museum's Senator John Alario, Jr. Special Exhibition Hall.
• Featuring a collection of over 500 rare historical objects and film clips, this traveling exhibit will showcase collections such as “Films and Print for Training, Propaganda, and Entertainment” and “Insignia and Morale.” Not only does the exhibit include profiles of Disney employees who left their studios to join the Armed Forces, but it highlights the remarkable American minorities who paved the way for future Generations.
• Disney is set to open New Orleans themed projects both in the parks and on the big screen. A New Orleans vibe will take over the recreated “Haunted Mansion,” a New Orleans-set supernatural comedy. Tiana's Bayou Adventure, based off the New Orleans-set movie “The Princess and the Frog”, will take the place of Splash Mountain in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World and Disneyland.

NEW FLIGHTS

• Breeze Airways recently announced seasonal one stop services to and from Hartford, Connecticut and Los Angeles, California from May-September 5.

2023 DESTINATION AWARDS AND HONORS

• New Orleans named top U.S. City for Neighborhood Restaurants by Food & Wine Global Tastemakers for 2023.
• New Orleans named the #1 Best of the Best - Best Food Destination in the US (and #9 in the World) in the 2023 Travelers' Choice Awards, TripAdvisor, 2023
• AFAR Magazine named New Orleans one of the 10 best places in the world to travel in April, because of Jazz Fest. New Orleans was one of only two U.S. cities recommended, along with international destinations Rome, Jordan, Spain, Iceland and French Polynesia.
• New Orleans & Company, in partnership with Dentsu Creative, was awarded a Gold Addy for Best of Show - Mosaic at the American Advertising Federation's 2023 American Advertising Awards for its Plus One campaign. The Mosaic award speaks to the diversity and inclusion that was an integral part of the campaign. The Plus One campaign also has a cutting edge long-form virtual reality (VR) version, marking the first time a destination marketing organization has used VR. Plus One tells the story of New Orleans' unique creativity through its people.
• New Orleans is featured in Southern Living's Best of the South issue in April 2023. The seventh annual awards recognize readers' favorite Southern destinations, hotels, restaurants and more. The cover story features Hoda Kotb and why she loves New Orleans and wants her daughters to love New Orleans as well. Also honored:
  • Commander's Palace – Best Locally Owned Restaurant in Louisiana
  • The Chandelier Bar at the Four Seasons – Best New Hotel Bar in New Orleans
  • The Joint – Best BBQ in Louisiana
  • Hotel Monteleone – Top 10 of the South's Best Hotels
  • Parkway Bakery & Tavern - The Best PoBoys In New Orleans
• The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) received a top industry award for Best Airport in North America (5 to 15 million passengers per year) from the Airports Council International (ACI) World's 2022 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) program. The ASQ awards highlight the world's best airports as judged by their customers who are surveyed while they are in the airport. This is the second year in a row that MSY was awarded Best Airport in North America. MSY is one of only three airports in North America to win Best Airport recognition among those serving 5 to 15 million passengers per year.

To learn more about what is happening in New Orleans' tourism industry, please read the latest issue of  Tourism Matters or visit neworleans.com.