Hurricane Katrina Update

RSAA extends its deepest sympathies and thoughts to the people of the Gulf Coast region displaced by the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. We look forward to a strong recovery and rebuilding of the lives and areas affected by the disaster. We encourage our members to support relief efforts by making donations directly to:

RSAA & Tour and Travel Coalition Supports Job Bank Resource to Assist Katrina Victims
Workers displaced by Hurricane Katrina may use the job bank free of charge to find new employment as soon as possible. The job bank, which can be found at www.katrinajobs.org, will be launched on September 15 to take resumes from job-seekers and listings from travel-related companies, but from all businesses across American industry. Please participate on this site and help us communicate this initiative as widely as possible in order to provide the best possible opportunity for those affected to find work.

New Orleans and Louisiana "Go Marching In"
Most of Louisiana received minimal damage and is open for business. The city of New Orleans is not the same. There are signs, however, that the unique spirit of New Orleans and Louisiana is once again on the way back to being reborn: Monday, the first impromptu street parade was held in the French Quarter. The indomitable residents of the French Quarter wanted to show the world that they are not going anywhere, so they paraded in costume through the French Quarter, throwing beads to the out-of-town National Guardsmen and repairmen.

  • Itinerary Changes
    It is very important that you continue to stress to your media and travel trade that the only attractions not operating are the ones in the extreme southeastern part of Louisiana, around the New Orleans area. Everything beginning 55 km west of New Orleans is open to the public. Our international visitors can experience all of the components of their itinerary in these areas, and would be warmly welcomed. The following are open and were not touched by the storm:
    • River Road plantations (Laura, Oak Alley, Nottoway, Houmas House, Madewood, etc.)
    • St. Francisville area plantations
    • Natchitoches/Alexandria plantations
    • Cajun Country plantations
    • swamp tours in Houma/Thibodaux, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette areas
    • casinos/hotels in the Lake Charles, Shreveport-Bossier, and Baton Rouge areas, plus the casinos in Kinder, Marksville, and Charenton.
    • all restaurants, hotels, attractions, and shopping in northern Louisiana (Shreveport-Bossier, Monroe, Ruston), central Louisiana (Alexandria, Natchitoches, Toledo Bend Reservoir), Cajun Country (Lake Charles, Lafayette/New Iberia, Houma/Thibodaux), Plantation Country (Baton Rouge, St. Francisville, River Road).
  • Ten hotels in the downtown and French Quarter area have reopened with electricity, air-conditioning, and no damage. Though the rooms will be occupied by government agencies and private contractors, the fact that the hotels opened are a sure sign that the tourist area will be open and habitable in a shorter time than estimated earlier.
  • The French Quarter is the highest land in the city. The hospitality and tourism infrastructure survived.
  • ome hotels along I-10 West in Metairie and Kenner are also open.
  • Hotels in Shreveport-Bossier, Monroe, Alexandria, Lake Charles, Lafayette, Houma/Thibodaux, and Baton Rouge are all open with no damage. Right now, 20% of Louisianans are homeless so all hotels are at 100% occupancy, within a few weeks there will be vacancies and visitors can still explore the attractions and intact culture of north Louisiana, Cajun Country, and Plantation Country with no interruptions. Our international visitors will be welcomed warmly.
  • Tour operators with Deep South itineraries are encouraged to continue their offerings and substitute other interesting Louisiana cities for New Orleans. BTR Baton Rouge, which is 112km from MSY, has added extra non-stop flights from Detroit, Minneapolis, New York, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Memphis, Dallas, and Houston.
  • New Orleans Metro. CVB has moved their office into the office of the Louisiana Office of Tourism in Baton Rouge, and will likely be there for the rest of the year. They can be reached at (225) 342-7009.
  • New Orleans big, city-wide conventions: They are cancelled through March 2006.
  • The Houma Area Convention and Visitors Bureau is back up and running. The Houma/Terrebonne Parish area suffered minimal damage as a result of Hurricane Katrina. Local hotels are currently housing thousands of evacuees.
  • Carnival will continue despite Katrina. Fat Tuesday will be a little leaner than usual, but Mardi Gras parades will roll in New Orleans in 2006, predicts Carnival expert Arthur Hardy. "It will be smaller than usual and different in some ways, but it will continue."
  • Additional Hotel Availability Information
    • Best Westerns: Sept 26 available in Shreveport, Alexandria, Monroe, Lake Charles
    • Holiday Inns: Oct 3 available in Lafayette, Shreveport, Lake Charles, Monroe
    • Choice Hotels: Sept 26 available in Alexandria, Shreveport; Oct 3 available in Lake Charles
    • Hampton Inns: nothing available statewide through Oct 17
    • Hotel Monteleone has set up a temporary office in Baton Rouge. The hotel hardly received any hurricane damage and looks forward to re-opening in the very near future.
    • Hampton Inns of New Orleans: Hampton Convention Center was in excellent shape as well as the Hampton Garden District – neither hotel had damage.

Below are visitor offices that can provide you with information and details.

Alexandria/Pineville Area CVB
707 Main Street
Alexandria, LA 71301
318-442-9546
800-551-9546
www.louisianafromhere.org

Baton Rouge Area Convention and Visitors Bureau
730 North Boulevard
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
225-342-8100
800-LA Rouge
www.bracvb.com

Lafayette Convention & Visitors Bureau
1400 NW Evangeline Throughway.
Lafayette, LA 70501
337-232-3737
800-346-1958
www.lafayettetravel.com

Monroe/West Monroe Convention and Visitors Bureau
1333 State Farm Drive
Monroe, LA 71202
318-387-5691
800-843-1872
www.monroe-westmonroe.org

Natchitoches Convention & Visitor Bureau
781 Front Street
Natchitoches, LA 71457
800-259-1714
www.natchitoches.net

Ruston-Lincoln Convention and Visitors Bureau
400 North Trenton Street
Ruston, LA 71270
318-255-2031
www.rustonlincoln.com

Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau
629 Spring Street
Shreveport, LA 71101
318-222-9391
www.shreveport-bossier.org

Southwest Louisiana/Lake Charles Convention & Visitors Bureau
1205 North Lakeshore Drive
Lake Charles, LA 70601
800-456-SWLA
www.visitlakecharles.org