About Louisiana Office of Tourism
The Louisiana Office of Tourism works in partnership with tourism professionals to extend and enhance their tourism efforts to domestic and international travel trade and consumers. Find out more about us here.
The Louisiana Office of Tourism
The Louisiana Office of Tourism is a multi-pronged marketing organization charged with taking a leadership role uniting Louisiana’s large and diverse tourism industry. The Louisiana Office of Tourism works in partnership with tourism professionals to extend and enhance their tourism efforts to domestic and international travel trade and consumers. The Louisiana Office of Tourism promoted the economic growth of Louisiana through four programs: Administration, Development and Sales, Coordinated Marketing and Welcome Centers.
The Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism is Louisiana's prime steward of the state’s $9.4 billion tourism industry. The 24.1 million visitors Louisiana hosts each year sustain over 200,000 direct and indirect jobs, fueling prosperity for sectors ranging from attractions, hotels and restaurants to retail stores and real estate and construction trades. One out of every 12 Louisiana workers depends on the state’s tourism industry for their economic livelihood.
State and local taxes generated by tourism are just a fraction of Louisiana’s investment in CRT’s Office of Tourism. Its advertising, marketing and promotional efforts generate a 17:1 return on public dollars invested. The tourism industry generates $850 million annually in Louisiana tax revenues - without it, every Louisiana household would have to pay an extra $550 in state taxes each year.
Research and statistics show tourism is an export industry, drawing money from outside the local community while imposing few costs on the local economy. Money tourists leave behind is “new” local money and a subsequent economic development engine. Subsequently, tourism promotion in Louisiana is a net revenue generator, not a cost, to taxpayers.
Tourism means economic gains for Louisiana. It contributes to the overall quality of life for Louisiana residents, by creating fun and educational things to see, do and experience in one’s own backyard. It encourages the preservation of natural, historic and cultural attractions for future generations. It sustains a community’s image as not only a desirable place to visit, but also a great place to call home.
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