More than 1,000 members of the New Orleans hospitality community hold signs, second-line and dance through the city’s historic streets today in a Mardi Gras style parade to reinforce the importance of tourism to the city’s economy, resident’s livelihood and cultural heritage. Supporting U.S. Travel Association's National Travel and Tourism Week rally, elected officials and members of the hospitality community gather to promote tourism, which generates $5 billion annually and employs 70,000 people, and celebrate recent milestones including welcoming 8.3 million visitors in 2010, the first time to reach 8 million since Katrina. *Photo by Jeff Anding