New Orleans & Company Kicks Off 2018 Be a Tourist in Your Own Hometown and COOLinary New Orleans

New Orleans & Company invites New Orleans residents to rediscover their city by taking advantage of the city’s cultural attractions and dining options through Be a Tourist in Your Own Hometown and COOLinary New Orleans Restaurant Month, New Orleans & Company’s annual summer campaigns. The two campaigns encourage locals to experience their hometown through the eyes of visitors while supporting the businesses that have made New Orleans one of the most culturally authentic destinations in the world.

Be a Tourist in Your Own Hometown (August 1-September 30) provides more than 80 deals and discounted rates at hotels, attractions, tours, dining options and more at www.touristathome.com. Louisiana residents are encouraged to book a New Orleans stay-cation, make reservations at a new culinary hotspot or at a tried-and-true favorite, learn about the city’s history or landscape through a tour, and more. Followers of New Orleans tourism’s Instagram account @VisitNewOrleans are encouraged to tag #BeATouristNOLA on images showcasing their summer staycations and outings around the city for a chance to win one of four robust staycation packages. Visit www.touristathome.com for a complete listing of the official rules. Be a Tourist 2018 deals and discounts can be found here.

The 14th annual COOLinary New Orleans Restaurant Month (August 1-31) returns this summer, offering special two- and three-course lunch menus for $20 or less and three-course dinner and brunch menus for $39 or less at more than 100 premiere restaurants across the city. The campaign showcases inventive menus created by award-winning chefs, highlighting the authentic cuisine of New Orleans. This year's COOLinary New Orleans restaurants include:

Visit www.COOLinaryneworleans.com for menus.

“New Orleans & Company is committed to nourishing and sustaining the incomparable culture that attracts millions of visitors each year. The Be a Tourist in Your Own Hometown and COOLinary campaigns give locals the opportunity to experience the top-tier hotels, restaurants, attractions, tours and museums that drew visitors from around the world to New Orleans last year. These touchstones of our unique culture make New Orleans one of the world’s most beloved destinations” said Stephen Perry, President & CEO of New Orleans & Company. “The summer months are the perfect time for Louisiana residents to reacquaint ourselves with New Orleans’ authentic spirit and culture and to fall in love with our hometowns again.”

Also on this summer’s calendar is New Orleans Museum Month, August 1-31, where being a member at one museum grants you complimentary access to all participating museums. Details of local participating museums can be found here.

Restaurant Week New Orleans, September 10-16, continues to keep all of the city’s restaurants top-of-mind within the local food-loving community for one special week by offering special two- and three-course lunch menus for $20 or less and three-course dinner and brunch menus for $39 or less at more than 100 restaurants in the city. Click here for menus. 

In addition to giving locals an opportunity to sample some of the city’s most celebrated dining and cultural options at discounted rates, the summer campaigns also drive business to New Orleans area restaurants during a historically slow period.

New Orleans & Company is a nationally accredited, 1,100-member destination marketing organization and the largest and most successful private economic development corporation in Louisiana. New Orleans & Company and its members and partners influence thousands of decision-makers and millions of visitors to choose New Orleans through direct sales, marketing, public relations, branding, visitor services and local advocacy initiatives at our New Orleans headquarters and offices in Chicago, Columbia, SC, Washington, D.C., the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada and China. Consistently recognized as one of the top five destination marketing organizations in the country, New Orleans & Company celebrates its 58th anniversary in 2018. For more information, please visit Neworleans.com/about.

###