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British Airways Announces Non-Stop Service between
London and New Orleans
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Dreamliner Service to Start March 2017
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Beginning March 27, 2017, British Airways will operate a non-stop flight between London's Heathrow Airport and Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans four times per week on the state-of-the-art Dreamliner aircraft.
"The announcement
is a strong signal to the rest of the world that New Orleans and Louisiana remain one of the world's great destinations," said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. "A direct flight to London will continue to grow our ever increasing international visitation numbers and support economic growth throughout our great state. I look forward to welcoming the first passengers from London to Louisiana on March 27, 2017."
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The number of British travelers to Louisiana has seen a steady increase which is anticipated to grow further with the addition of a direct, year round service. Currently, British leisure travelers come to Louisiana using surrounding gateway cities to either connect with a flight to New Orleans or drive.
The UK is the second largest source of visitors to Louisiana. The state-of-the-art aircraft, the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, will be able to accommodate 214 travelers on each flight.
"This is the beginning of a new era for New Orleans and Louisiana with the launch of this British Airways flight," said Jody Hanson, owner of Travel & Tourism Marketing Ltd. " British travelers prefer a direct service where possible. With ease of accessibility you directly impact
visitation numbers, encouraging the UK consumer to visit what they perceive to be a world renowned bucket list destination."
A direct service to New Orleans opens up possibilities, such as:
- Increased touring within Louisiana through both fly-drive trips and escorted touring holidays;
- Increased cruising out of the Port of New Orleans for the British cruise market;
- Increased educational tourism by schools and universities;
- Increased year-round visitation; and,
- Increased incentives for businesses.
“The new partnership with BA will drive the brand of New Orleans as a world destination not only in the U.K., but throughout the European continent,” said Stephen Perry, President & CEO of the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau. “With the new Dreamliner and all of its amenities, we will have a top of class aircraft directly connecting London to New Orleans. We will jointly forge an entirely new marketing approach in collaboration with BA and our London office that will be a huge part of a greatly ramped up international marketing program, designed to generate hundreds of millions of new top line dollars to the Greater New Orleans region.”
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Olde Tyme Grocery - America's #1 Bargain Dining Restaurant
Serving mouth-watering po-boys since 1982, Lafayette's Olde Tyme Grocery has been a local favorite - and a great find for tourists. Now, it tops Trip Advisor's list of bargain dining restaurants. Earlier this year, Olde Tyme was voted second best po-boy in Louisiana in USA Today's 10 Best online contest. Learn more about this iconic Lafayette eatery at www.oldetymegrocery.com.
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Big Recognition for the Big Easy; New Orleans Garners Top 5 Spots on National Lists
New Orleans' acclaim as a top destination for travelers received another boost recently, recognized in this year’s
Condé Nast Traveler’s
Readers Choice Awards and by
JD Power’s inaugural assessment of most popular vacation spots in the USA. New Orleans ranked 5th in the Condé Nast Traveler’s list of the Best Big Cities and tied for 3rd in traveler satisfaction by JD Power.
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Expansion at Destrehan Plantation
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One of the most historical buildings in St. Charles Parish, the Destrehan Plantation, is expanding three times its original size. Recently closing on a $500,000 land purchase of 8 acres, the River Road Historical Society plans to construct a new administrative center, six on-site bed-and-breakfast cottages, a maintenance building, an expanded parking lot and a rental facility. In addition to this monumental purchase, 14 acres of land will also be donated to the historical society within the next year, totaling at 26 acres of land ownership.
Because the Destrehan Plantation is a huge tourist attraction, $2 million will be invested into the preservation of this historical site, which will make for a promising future for tourism in St. Charles Parish.
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Iberia Parish Named Most French Friendly Parish in Louisiana
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The Council for the Development of French in Louisiana (CODOFIL) presented the Iberia Parish Convention and Visitors Bureau the inaugural French-friendly Louisiana Award on Sunday, October 9. The award recognizes Iberia Parish's work toward developing French values on economic, educational, cultural, and professional levels, making the French and Creole Cultures easily identifiable.
Pictured above for the award presentation: Charles Larroque, CODOFIL Executive Director; Nelwyn Hebert, Iberia Parish Tourist Commissioner; Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser; Fran Thibodeaux, Iberia Parish CVB Executive Director; and, Céline Alis, Iberia Parish CVB Assistant Director of Communications.
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Louisiana Book Festival - This Weekend
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The 13th Annual Louisiana Book Festival is this weekend in Baton Rouge. The festival will feature a wide range of authors showcasing their works, as well as youth activities, food and live music, and writing WordShops. Need a reason to attend this year's event? Here are 10 reasons to plan a road trip to the Louisiana Book Festival. We'll see you this weekend on 4th street out front the State Capitol, State Library, and Capitol Park Museum.
For more information -
13th Annual Louisiana Book Festival
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Upcoming Meetings & Events
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