9.01 million are the highest visitor numbers in nearly 10 years, officials say
New Orleans’ tourism industry welcomed 9.01 million visitors in 2012, record numbers not seen by the city in nearly 10 years, city and local tourism officials announced Tuesday.
Total visitor numbers increased by three percent, or 255,027 from the number of visitors in 2011 (8.75 million), officials said.
The 9.01 million visitors spent $6 billion, a nine percent or $512 million increase over 2011 and the highest spending in the city’s history, they said.
The facts and figures released come from the 2012 New Orleans Area Visitor Profile study, completed by the UNO Hospitality Research Center for the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) and New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation (NOTMC).
Mayor Mitch Landrieu said, "The continued growth of both visitor numbers and spending is a reflection of the hard work of our hospitality industry. I feel confident that we will continue the upward trajectory as we work toward the goal of welcoming 13 million visitors by 2018."
