New Orleans Named One of the Best Cities in North America by Travel + Leisure
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contacts:
Kristian Sonnier, New Orleans CVB, 504-566-5045, ksonnier@neworleanscvb.com
Lea Sinclair, NOTMC, 504-491-5330, lea@notmc.com
New Orleans Named One of the Best Cities in North America by Travel + Leisure
New Orleans ranked No.2 among cities in the U.S., Mexico and Canada
NEW ORLEANS – (February 22, 2016) – New Orleans’ continues to enthrall visitors and garner accolades, most recently being named the No. 2 city in North America for visitors according to a Travel + Leisure reader’s survey. New Orleans ranked second to Charleston but above San Francisco, New York City and Chicago.
Readers ranked cities based on categories such as arts, shopping, dining, romantic ambience and friendliness. New Orleans was chosen as the number two destination in America, ranking No. 1 in the world for nightlife and No. 2 in the nation for dining. Travel + Leisure touted both historic dining options and innovative new jazz clubs and bars in the Crescent City as reasons for its high ranking. In 2014 and 2015, New Orleans was named the No. 2 city in North America as part of the Travel + Leisure “World’s Best” annual survey.
“New Orleans is flourishing with both historic establishments that visitors have always loved and cosmopolitan new hotels, restaurants and cocktail programs. Only in New Orleans can you experience the oldest restaurant in America alongside innovative James Beard Award-winning chefs, or see Grammy Award-winning artists perform and then wander into our streets to discover a new musician,” said Stephen Perry, President and CEO, New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Recognition from such an esteemed travel publication is a testament to our commitment to hospitality and the hard work we do every day to create an unparalleled travel experience for our visitors.”
“New Orleans is a consistent choice for travelers because of its authenticity, historic charm, and beauty,” said Mark Romig, President and CEO of the New Orleans Tourism and Marketing Corporation (NOTMC). “Those qualities allow us to deliver on a fantastic experience and we are honored the readers of Travel + Leisure have singled out our nightlife and dining.”
The designation as one of the “Best Cities in North America” is New Orleans’ most recent recognition in a string of accolades including one of The Washington Post’s “10 Best Food Cities in America,” the number one “Most Visited Destination Across the Globe” of 2015 by AFAR magazine, one of the “Best Big Cities in the U.S.” by Condé Nast Traveler and more.
More information on Travel + Leisure’s “Best Cities in North America” and a complete list of winners can be found at www.travelandleisure.com/slideshows/best-cities-in-north-america.
The New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau 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, Louisville, KY, Washington, D.C. and six foreign countries. Consistently recognized as one of the top five CVBs in the country, the New Orleans CVB celebrates its 56th anniversary in 2016. For more information, please visit www.neworleanscvb.com; www.facebook.com/neworleans; www.twitter.com/neworleanscvb.
The New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation is the City of New Orleans’ official leisure travel promotion agency created to foster jobs and economic growth by developing the tourism industry in New Orleans. NOTMC is publicly funded and provides year-round online marketing, advertising, public relations and special event programming in order to support the growth of leisure travel to New Orleans.
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