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New Orleans: Back for the Future? Tourism Loyalty is a Must
A few weeks ago, I attended a family event in New Orleans (NOLA), just after the 2nd Anniversary of Katrina. After growing up and attending grad school there, each trip "home" is filled with mixed emotions. This trip saw an equal mix of both optimism and depression.
On the positive side, much of the downtown, uptown and French Quarter areas were doing better than in previous trips. More stores and restaurants were open and there were some signs of life as it was (pre-Katrina). The vibe from people on the street, particularly those for whom "hospitality" is their business, was more warm and welcoming than ever. Couple this with an optimistic football outlook (at least for LSU, who for now is #1 in college football) and cooling temperatures and you have the right ingredients for a great year-end and outlook for 2008.
But something was and still is missing. New Orleans needs more of a hook to get people to visit in the first place and to bring them back.
The reason is simple: The place is still suffering from the devastation of Katrina, rampant corruption and crime. The question of investment, both from the private and public sectors, still hinges on the perceived viability of the area. That aside, New Orleans still has all the ingredients to turn the corner and be a first-choice domestic (and international) cultural tourism destination.
Meanwhile, there will continue to be a lot of discussion in the coming months, especially in an election year, about how and what to invest in the re-building of NOLA. There has been talk of making it another Las Vegas and there have been other (better) ideas about how to reposition the city. At its core, its brand truth, New Orleans has a unique and globally attractive culture like no other.
In order to expand support beyond the locals and die-hard NOLA-lovers (whether from government, organizations, corporations or individuals), NOLA has to do more in terms of building direct relationships with people who visit and can credibly spread a positive, first-hand message about the place. If there is going to be a sustainable and viable rebuilding effort, the post-Katrina perceptions and realities must be overcome and its image rebuilt.
While the New Orleans Convention and Visitor's Bureau and others have been investing millions on advertising and PR (and doing some great work), making NOLA more appealing as a place to visit, meet and even live will require first hand advocacy and grass roots support. This is the only way to make the positioning credible and not just a marketing promise.
So why not start with current visitors? Like most destinations, and most companies for that matter, New Orleans and Louisiana spend nearly all of their budgets attracting new visitors rather than investing in the hundreds and thousands that arrive each day at Louis Armstrong International Airport.
There is no better way to build a database of prospective visitors, and advocates, than from those already visiting and on the ground there. There are millions of dollars being spent through organizations like the CVB (New Orleans Convention and Visitor's Bureau), New Orleans Tourism Marketing, and the state department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism. None of these dollars are being used to build a database and do relationship marketing.
Through a concerted effort by all of the tourism organizations, the private sector and other local organizations, New Orleans can build a sustainable dialogue with many more people by including a more significant focus on current visitors. These visitors need to be identified, engaged and romanced by their trip so that they leave excited about returning and ready to spread that feeling.
Beyond and included in the visitors are the tens and hundreds of thousands of people like me who are expatriates, still possessing a love for the area. What an opportunity to build a multi-faceted base of support for the city! These people can be mobilized not only to visit but to advocate. And over time, New Orleans can be rebuilt as it should be.
