New Orleans Tops Multiple National Lists as 2015 Comes to an End

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACTS:
NOCVB: Lauren Cason, lcason@neworleanscvb.com, 504.566.5019
NOTMC: Lea Sinclair, lea@notmc.com, 504.523.5652

New Orleans Tops Multiple National Lists as 2015 Comes to an End
Most Visited Destination Across the Globe in 2015 and Top Ten Food Cities in America among recent accolades

(NEW ORLEANS, LA) – December 28, 2015 – As 2015 draws to a close, both New Orleans and Louisiana have claimed top spots on numerous national lists. Most recent recognition includes the world’s most visited destination, one of the top food cities in America, meeting destination award of excellence, most innovative tourism campaign and even the most compassionate state in the nation.

• New Orleans named Most Visited Destination Across the Globe of 2015 by AFAR
  AFAR magazine has named New Orleans as the number one most visited destination of 2015. The Crescent City was ranked above large destinations including Portugal, Rome, Paris, New York City and several more. AFAR’s list noted the city’s live jazz-filled streets, the open-container policy and the unique cuisine as factors for New Orleans being named as the most traveled destination across the globe in 2015.

• New Orleans named #4 on Washington Post’s “The 10 Best Food Cities in America” List
  Within a 10-month project to “eat, drink and shop” his way through the United States, food critic Tom Sietsema of the Washington Post traveled across the country to rank the top 10 food cities, naming New Orleans number four. New Orleans ranked above other popular culinary destinations such as Charleston, New York City and Chicago. Sietsema visited New Orleans in the fall of 2015 and dined at a variety of staples within the local restaurant scene, noting that New Orleans is a city that prides itself on its unique cuisine. Sietsema dined at each type of restaurant the city has to offer, including sandwich shops, markets, fine dining restaurants, museums, bars and stores. His itinerary included Shaya, St. James Cheese Company, The Southern Food and Beverage Museum, Toups’ Meatery and many more.

• New Orleans wins Corporate & Incentive Travel Magazine’s Award of Excellence for the fifteenth time
  Corporate & Incentive Travel Magazine has recognized New Orleans as an ideal meeting destination for the fifteenth time. Noting the collision of Creole cuisine, rich history, hotel, restaurant and meeting developments as well as a culture unlike any other, the magazine calls New Orleans “a feast for the senses.” The award points out meeting venues unique to the city, including Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World and The National WWII Museum, where attendees can have an experience like no other.

• New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau wins Expedia Media Solutions’ 2015 North American Most Innovative Campaign of the Year
  The Travelocity Roaming Gnome’s spring visit to New Orleans resulted in the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau (NOCVB) being recognized with the 2015 Most Innovative Campaign of the Year Award. The NOCVB joined forces with Expedia Media Solutions to partner with the Travelocity Integrated Marketing Communications team to create a tourism campaign that showcased New Orleans through the bearded traveler’s experiences. In an effort to jump-start the warm weather season and show the world that New Orleans is back and better than ever, the Travelocity Roaming Gnome visited the Crescent City during the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Through an integrated social media campaign and interactive landing pages, the gnome showcased many of the activities that make New Orleans so unique. As a part of Travelocity’s effort encouraging travelers to “go & smell the roses,” the gnome enjoyed beignets at Café du Monde, danced in a second-line parade, ate a Mother’s po-boy and turtle soup at Commander’s Palace, took a riverboat cruise on the Steamboat Natchez, and even attended a swamp tour. The Travelocity visitor demand to visit also grew in the travel market by double digits year over year, especially within the 4.5 million impressions made from the display and email activities through the campaign.

• Louisiana Named Most Compassionate State in the Nation by YouCaring.com
  Louisiana has claimed the top spot for giving, according to the website YouCaring.com. Of all fundraisers started on YouCaring.com, the top ten states reporting were tallied and Louisiana’s count came to 181 fundraisers per 100,000 households during 2015, with top causes from medical and pet charities. YouCaring.com analyzed metrics for fundraisers launched across the U.S. that included all 50 states, to reveal the ten most compassionate places as well as the causes closest to the hearts of its residents.

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The New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau (NOCVB) is a nationally accredited, 1,100-member destination marketing organization and the largest and most successful private economic development corporation in Louisiana. The CVB and its members influence thousands of decision-makers and millions of visitors to choose New Orleans through direct sales, marketing, public relations, branding and visitor services at our New Orleans headquarters and offices in Chicago, Washington, D.C. and four foreign countries. Consistently recognized as one of the top five CVBs in the country, the New Orleans CVB celebrates its 55th anniversary in 2015. For more information, please visit www.neworleanscvb.com; www.facebook.com/neworleans; www.twitter.com/neworleans.

The New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation (NOTMC) NOTMC promotes the city as a leisure tourism destination throughout the year. Annually, NOTMC’s marketing campaigns include strategic print, broadcast, and Internet advertising and public relations. Websites: NewOrleansOnline.com; http://www.followyournola.com; GoNOLA.com; Facebook.com/NewOrleans; Twitter.com/visitneworleans; Instagram.com/VisitNewOrleans; YouTube.com/gonolatv