FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contacts:
Mary Beth Romig / Jennifer Lotz
New Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau
504-566-5019
mbromig@neworleanscvb.com / jlotz@neworleanscvb.com

Jennifer Tolchin
Weber Shandwick
212-445-8336
jtolchin@webershandwick.com

Mardi Gras, Bourbon Street, and…Mom and Dad??
With an eclectic mix of kid and wallet-friendly itineraries, the New Orleans family vacation
is not an oxymoron

NEW ORLEANS – July 16, 2008 – New Orleans—widely known for raucous Mardi Gras and spirited nightlife —now has a new and somewhat unexpected label: family destination. With the June opening of the Audubon Insectarium, the recent return of the entire streetcar line, longstanding classic family-friendly places, and history and culture unsurpassed by any U.S. city, New Orleans has emerged as an ideal destination for families.

And in this summer of $15 luggage fees and milk prices that rival rising gas prices, The New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau (New Orleans CVB) is coming to the table with an abundance of restaurant deals via the fourth annual “COOLinary New Orleans” restaurant celebration and an extensive list of summer hotel packages to make family-friendly travel also budget-friendly.

With the COOLinary deals, travelers have until August 31, 2008, to take advantage of lunches for $20 or less and dinners for $30 or less at some of the city’s most popular restaurants that offer three-course menus. In addition, New Orleans is “hot” this summer with its Sizzlin' Summer Coupons offering families budget-friendly options and more than $450 in overall savings.

“New Orleans is truly a place for everyone, particularly families,” said J. Stephen Perry, President and CEO of the New Orleans CVB. “Where else in the U.S. can parents and kids experience being covered in powdered sugar while eating beignets at the world-famous original Café Du Monde location, enjoy phenomenal young musicians and street performers on every corner or stroll down cobble stone streets filled with hundreds of years of the country’s history?!”

This multi-faceted international city has a proud and longstanding tradition of being a welcoming destination for all types of visitors. In March 2005, prior to Katrina, it was even named by Yahoo! Travel and National Geographic Traveler Magazine as the top family vacation destination in the United States. In keeping with that mindset, the New Orleans CVB is providing the below itinerary suggestions for the diverse compositions of families who are sure to discover how much there is to love about New Orleans:

The Classic Family Vacation:

  • Hansen’s Sno-Blitz Sweet Shop
  • Audubon Zoo
  • Audubon Insectarium
  • Creole Creamery
  • Streetcar ride through the Garden District
  • Beignets at Café du Monde
  • Accommodations: The Lowe’s Hotel (for its “Lowe’s Loves Kids” Program)

Mom and Dad’s first vacation with young children:

  • Mardi Gras World Tour
  • Audubon Aquarium
  • Storyland Area in City Park
  • Louisiana Children’s Museum

Just Dad and the Boys:

  • Cruising down the Mississippi River on a paddle wheeler
  • Johnny’s Po-Boys
  • World War II Museum
  • Audubon Park Golf Course
  • Entergy Imax Theater
  • Swamp and Bayou Tours
  • Charter Fishing trip
  • Arena Bowl Championship Game (July 27, 2008)

Mom and the Girls:

  • New Orleans Museum of Art
  • Brunch at an historic French Quarter restaurant
  • Shopping on Magazine Street
  • Belladonna Day Spa
  • High tea at The Windsor Court

Traveling with Teens and Tweens:

  • Audubon Insectarium
  • Bananas Foster at Brennan’s
  • Shopping
  • Voluntourism Project
  • Po’ Boys at Mothers
  • Mardi Gras World Tour

Mom, Dad & the Grown Up Kids:

  • Drinks at Pat O’Briens
  • Historic Homes/Plantation tours
  • Tales of the Cocktail (July 16 – 20, 2008)
  • Jazz at Preservation Hall
  • Harrah’s New Orleans Casino
  • Lunch at Galatoire’s

Overseas Travelers Benefiting From Favorable Exchange Rates:

  • Antique shopping on Royal Street
  • The Ogden Museum of Southern Art
  • Tax-free shopping on Magazine Street and hundreds of stores state-wide
  • Dinner at Commander’s Palace
  • Cocktails and mock-tails at Snug Harbor for live jazz

Not only is New Orleans considered one of the most “walkable” cities in the United States, but it has also become an accessible city for travel. Families can travel by car or take advantage of the new flight paths that have been added by several major carriers, including JetBlue Airways. Families can also visit The Big Easy during pre-and post cruise ship options. Traveling via Amtrak, The City of New Orleans train is running to Memphis and Chicago, while the Crescent runs to Atlanta, Greensboro, Washington, D.C. and New York. If you are traveling from the West Coast, the Sunset Limited is running to San Antonio and Los Angeles.

Once in New Orleans, families can extend their stay to explore Cajun Country and experience the unique heritage of Southeast Louisiana, within just a three-hour drive of the beaches and diverse beauty of the South Coast region.

Consistently recognized as one of the top five convention and visitor bureaus in the United States, The New Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau is the driving force behind New Orleans' most important industry, tourism. Today the cultural riches, sensual indulgences and unparalleled service that define the New Orleans experience continue to flourish, as they have for centuries. The most celebrated and historic core of the city - including the French Quarter, Central Business District, Warehouse and Arts District, Magazine Street, the Faubourg Marigny and Garden District - are thriving. In 2007, New Orleans welcomed 7.1 million visitors, nearly double the amount of visitors in 2006. For more information, visit www.neworleanscvb.com.

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