As we solemnly remember the lives lost 20 years ago during Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, Visit New Orleans is celebrating the incredible resilience, innovation and grit that it took to rebuild our beloved city and cultural economy.
New Orleans went from an all-time low of 3.7 million visitors in 2006, the year after Katrina, to a record-breaking 19 million visitors in 2019 – a number we achieved again in 2024 following COVID recovery years.
Despite experiencing one of the country’s worst natural and manmade disasters, today New Orleans stands as a top leisure and convention destination that hosts some of the most iconic events on the planet.
Key to post-Katrina recovery was the resurgence of the tourism and hospitality industry, which employs more than 80,000 people in the New Orleans area. Tax revenue paid by visitors earns the city and state tens of millions of dollars for vital services including education, infrastructure and public safety for Louisiana communities. In 2004, 10.1 million visitors spent $4.9 billion. Compare that to the nearly doubled 19.08 million visitors who spent $10.4 billion in 2024.
Walt Leger III, President and CEO of Visit New Orleans, said, “The Katrina anniversary is traumatic for us as New Orleanians as we reflect on the nearly two thousand lives lost, and the tens of thousands of people who lost their homes and everything they own.
“There was no blueprint for how to recover from a disaster of this magnitude, but persistence and determination guided our path. When some outsiders asked why we would even consider re-building or welcoming back visitors, Visit New Orleans and our partners executed one of the greatest turnaround stories in American history. We showed the world that tough times do not last, but tough people do.”
Highlights of post-Katrina innovation, growth and rebirth include:
Overcoming Unprecedented Brand Impairment
Our flooded neighbourhoods and most iconic buildings were the scene of worldwide negative media coverage for months. After cancelling $2 billion in convention business between August 2005 – 2006, Visit New Orleans led a massive multi-year global PR campaign to let people know it was ok to visit. Without visitors, meetings and events, we could not have restarted our economy.
We now use our learnings from Katrina to help other destinations rebuild their tourism industries after disaster, including wildfires in Hawaii, a typhoon in the Philippines, Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey, and Hurricane Helene in North Carolina.
New Amtrak Mardi Gras service
Monday August 18, 2025 saw the launch of a new rail service, for the first time in 20 years. Beginning, the Amtrak Mardi Gras service line will connect New Orleans and Mobile, with stops in Bay St. Louis, Biloxi, Gulfport and Pascagoula. This new rail service is a significant development for regional tourism and commerce. For more information, visit www.neworleans.com/amtrak
Air services
After seeing steady growth following Hurricane Katrina, the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport opened a new $1.01 billion terminal in 2019, which drastically improved the passenger experience. In 2025, for the fourth year in a row, the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport was named Best Airport in North America (5 to 15 million passengers per year) by the Airports Council International World’s 2024 Airport Service Quality program.
Now, with an eye toward the future, the airport is mapping out plans for the next 20 years of growth which could include additional passenger terminal space, more efficient roadways, expanded cargo operations, an aircraft maintenance facility and more.
Restaurants / Culinary
The restaurant industry’s recovery was a powerful symbol of resilience and a testament to the spirit of New Orleans. Restaurants not only provided food to volunteers, but also became vital social hubs, contributing to the city’s cultural fabric and helping to rebuild a sense of community.
Also in the past 20 years, the James Beard Foundation has repeatedly recognized New Orleans for its contribution to America’s culinary heritage. At the James Beard Ceremony in the spring of 2006, Chef Susan Spicer and more than 20 chefs from New Orleans prepared the dishes that have made New Orleans one of the greatest culinary destinations in the world. At the 2024 James Beard Awards Jewel of the South was named Outstanding Bar and Dakar NOLA won the national award for Best New Restaurant.
Dooky Chase’s Restaurant received the 2025 James Beard America’s Classics award for being a cornerstone of Creole cuisines and Black American culture for eight decades. This prestigious award recognizes restaurants that are deeply rooted in their communities, cultures, and cuisines, and have stood the test of time. Chef/Owner the late Leah Chase, was celebrated for the restaurant’s role in hosting civil rights leaders, and for her collection of art by Black artists. Previous America’s Classics winners include Willie Mae Seaton’s Scotch House in 2005 and Dong Phuong Bakery in 2018.
In 2024 New Orleans & Company became the first city in the United States to secure and host the Americas Selection of Bocuse d’Or and Pastry World Cup. Bocuse d’Or is the most rigorous culinary competition in the world known as the ‘Olympics’ of the culinary world. The event is returning to New Orleans in the summer of 2026.
Riverfront Transformation
New Orleans is currently undergoing significant riverfront redevelopment, with two major projects transforming the area: the Riverfront for All park and the River District.
The Riverfront for All project, led by the Audubon Nature Institute, will create a continuous 2.3-mile stretch of public park space along the Mississippi River, connecting Crescent Park to Spanish Plaza. In June 2023 after a $41 million renovation the Audubon Nature Institute opened a reimagined and redesigned Audubon Aquarium and Audubon Insectarium on the New Orleans Riverfront. Audubon Insectarium relocated from its former home at the U.S. Custom House to the Aquarium building. It is the only facility in the world to house both an aquarium and an insectarium under the same roof.
The $1 billion River District, a 39-acre mixed-use neighbourhood adjacent to the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Centre will feature a mixed-use environment, including offices and residential areas with affordable and workforce housing complemented with entertainment venues, cultural centres, retail, dining and public green space.
Major Investments
The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Centre (NOENMCC), the sixth largest convention facility in the country, underwent a $557 million renovation with over 1.1 million square feet of prime exhibit space to be completed in 2026. NOENMCC is also the largest convention centre to receive the Gold LEED designation.
The Caesars Superdome recently finished a $560 million renovation prior to Super Bowl LIX in February. This iconic landmark that transformed the city’s economy celebrated its 50th birthday on August 3, 2025.
Cruise services
The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) announced it set a record high in March 2025 with over 165,000 cruise passenger movements – the number of cruise passengers who either board or leave a cruise ship. The record-breaking numbers topped Port NOLA’s previous high of just over 155,000 cruise passenger moves in March 2023.
This momentum comes after a record-breaking year in 2024 for Port NOLA with more than 1.2 million cruise passenger movements. New Orleans is one of the country’s most popular cruise ports with many travellers adding a pre- or post-cruise vacation.
- In 2024, Carnival Cruise line celebrated its 30th year sailing from New Orleans. Carnival continues to be the only cruise line with two ships homeported year-round in New Orleans and is moving the larger Carnival Dream back in May 2027, joining Carnival Liberty.
- Norwegian Cruise line and Royal Caribbean Cruise Line have had a presence in New Orleans in the past two decades. For example, Norwegian Cruise Line brought the Escape ship this year. This ship is part of the Breakaway plus class known for their extensive entertainment offerings, and more dining options with 20 venues on the ship to choose from.
- Royal Caribbean has had multiple ships sailing from New Orleans since 2005 including Brilliance of the Seas. In 2026 Mariner of the Seas will begin sailing from New Orleans.
- American Cruise line started in New Orleans in 2018 with the American Song and now operates five vessels from the Port of New Orleans.
- Viking River Cruises started sailing from the Port of New Orleans in September 2022, bringing state-of-the-art luxury to the Mississippi River.
Hotels
Thanks in large part to new market and historic preservation tax credits, the hotel industry has undergone remarkable growth since 2005, with new brands investing in the city, and more than $1 billion in renovations. Examples include:
- The Hyatt Regency underwent a $275 million renovation, reopening in 2011 after a six-year closure. One of the largest hotels in the city, the Hyatt Regency boasts nearly 1,200 rooms.
- The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans reopened in 2006 after more than $100 million was invested in renovation efforts, including a new club level, a new restaurant called Mélange, and a new meeting area on the first floor offering 8,000 square feet.
- The Roosevelt Hotel reopened in 2009, after undergoing more than $145 million in renovations. The Roosevelt has been a staple in New Orleans, originally opening in 1893.
- Caesars Entertainment, Inc., finished a $560 million renovation prior to Super Bowl LIX, in addition to the more than $450 million spent to expand, renovate and rebrand the 450-room Harrah’s Hotel and Casino to the Caesars New Orleans, which included the opening of the Nobu Hotel in Caesars Tower. New Orleans is one of only 14 Nobu Hotels in North America, and one of 10 in the US.
- Virgin Hotels, the lifestyle hotel brand by Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson, opened the doors to Virgin Hotels New Orleans in 2021.
- The Four Seasons Hotel moved into the former World Trade Centre in 2021. In 2022, the hotel was accredited with an AAA Five Diamond hotel designation, the sole hotel in the state of Louisiana bestowed the honour. The designation is reserved for the top one percent of the nearly 25,000 AAA Diamond-rated lodgings countrywide.
- The Dew Drop Inn Hotel and Lounge, on Lasalle Street in Central City opened in February 2024. The boutique hotel includes 17 hotel rooms, a live music venue and a resort style pool. First opened in 1938 by Frank Painia, the Dew Drop was a hotel, music venue and barber shop. Legendary musicians played on its stage including Ray Charles, Little Richard, Deacon John and Irma Thomas.
- Hotel Henrietta opened in 2024 and became the first hotel built from the ground up on historic St. Charles Avenue in 30 years.
- One11 Hotel opened in 2020 and was the first new hotel to open in the French Quarter in 50 years.
- The Higgins Hotel, Curio by Hilton, The Official Hotel of The National WWII Museum opened in 2019. The hotel was the first in the state of Louisiana to be part of the exclusive Curio Collection by Hilton, and all proceeds generated will support the ongoing educational mission of the Museum. In 2025, the National World War II Museum celebrated its 25th anniversary and continues to be one of the most popular museums in the country.
- The Rubenstein Family, known for their legendary men’s clothing store Rubensteins on the corner of Canal Street and St. Charles Avenue, turned the upstairs of the building into a 40-room boutique hotel called the Rubenstein Hotel.
- Copper Vine underwent an expansion to evolve the brand into Copper Vine Winepub & Inn, a ‘restaurant-first’ take on a traditional bed-and-breakfast with 11 rooms and an increased restaurant floor plan for expanded dining and private events.
- Other new hotels to open since Katrina include Garden District Hotel, The Celestine, The Blackbird Hotel, Hotel St. Vincent, NOPSI, Hotel Peter and Paul, The Kimpton Hotel Fontenot and the Chloe.
- A Major New Hotel Development: On January 30, 2025, The Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority approved a headquarters hotel development agreement and ground lease agreement with Omni Hotels & Resorts (Omni) to develop a 1,000-room headquarters hotel projected to be transformative for the city, region and state. These agreements allow Omni to move forward with development as owner and operator of a headquarters hotel across the street from the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Centre. Hotel design will continue throughout 2025, and construction is expected to start in 2026. The hotel is anticipated to open in 2029.
Sports Mecca
Visit New Orleans, along with the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, have bid on, been awarded and hosted major sports events in the 20 years since Katrina including:
- 2013 and 2025 NFL Super Bowl (2025 was our 11th time hosting Super Bowl, tied only with Miami)
- 2019 and 2024 SEC Gymnastics Championship
- UFC 318; the 2025 U.S. Gymnastics National Championships; and much more to come. New Orleans truly is Built to Host.
Meetings, Conventions and Voluntourism
We thank organisations such as Maritz Travel and the American Library Association, which were among the first to return post-Katrina, to not only boost our economy by hosting meetings and conventions here, but who gave their time to rebuild parks and libraries across our community. Their generosity kick-started the voluntourism trend that still creates a positive impact today.
In an increasingly competitive marketplace for meetings and conventions, New Orleans was named one of the top three convention destinations by Simpleview in 2024, with Meetings and conventions contributing more than $2 billion in direct spending annually. Convention attendees typically stay longer, spend more and engage more small businesses throughout the community to produce their events.
World-Class Future Flood Protection
Perhaps our best post-Katrina success metric is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ $14.5 billion Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System, one of the most technically advanced coastal flood protection systems in the world. This system of barriers, sector gates, floodwalls, floodgates and levees provide a veritable “wall” around the Greater New Orleans area.
During Hurricane Ida in 2021, the flood protection system worked as planned, and we hosted a major meeting in New Orleans two weeks later. This is vital as it instils confidence in residents, investors, visitors and customers that New Orleans is the most prepared community across the Gulf South, maybe in the nation to weather future disasters.