FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contacts: Rhonda Cook, rcook@neworleans.com

Will Chaney, wchaney@neworleans.com

New Orleans & Company Releases Strong Visitation Results for 2025: 19.46 Million Visitors Spent $10.8 Billion

2025 marks the third time ever the city has surpassed 19 million annual visitors

NEW ORLEANS – May 8, 2026  – Today at its National Travel & Tourism Week annual luncheon, New Orleans & Company, the city’s destination sales and marketing organization, announced that 19.46 million visitors came to New Orleans in 2025 - a two percent increase over 2024 and just one percent shy of the city’s all-time visitation record set in 2019 - according to a study conducted by MMGY Global, the world's leading integrated marketing company specializing in the travel industry.

The 2025 total marks only the third time in history New Orleans has exceeded 19 million visitors, making 2024 and 2025 the second and third highest-performing tourism years on record, after 2019. Visitor spending in 2025 reached $10.8 billion, an increase of $800 million over 2024’s $10.0 billion.

Tourism and hospitality remain foundational drivers of the New Orleans economy, supporting more than 85,000 jobs and careers. Visitors and the dollars they spend generate substantial earnings for local businesses and workers while also providing critical tax revenues that support infrastructure, education, public safety, transportation and other essential public services throughout Louisiana.

“In the hyper competitive marketplace, our city and our team continues to win at the highest levels. These results are a testament to every culture bearer, hospitality professional and resident who make New Orleans the most remarkable, unique and welcoming city in the world,” said Walt Leger III, President and CEO of New Orleans & Company.

Leger continued, “We’re thrilled to see strong visitation and spending, while recognizing that the tourism industry is complex and multifaceted, with success measured in many different ways. We constantly analyze data on marketplace dynamics, competitive cities, industry trends, hotel occupancy, short term rental bookings, economic impact, brand sentiment, hotel tax collections, convention and leisure group bookings and more so we can adjust our strategies where needed. In addition to strong visitor numbers,

in 2025 the New Orleans & Company sales team sold more than two million hotel room nights into the future at a conservative value of $400 million; placed thousands of positive stories across the global and domestic media; engaged millions online through our website and social media channels; and supported our members and customers with hundreds of business leads, site visits and marketing and attendance-building tools. The goal is the same: to encourage travel to New Orleans for the economic, social and community benefit of the city and its people.”

Without the millions of visitors who choose New Orleans annually, the city could not sustain the world-class restaurants, museums, festivals, performing arts, attractions and cultural experiences that distinguish New Orleans globally. We truly ‘punch above our weight.’

The year 2025 brought many milestones for the tourism industry, including Super Bowl LIX; Amtrak Mardi Gras train service connecting New Orleans and Mobile for the first time in 20 years; global recognition from MICHELIN and UNESCO; and the release of Vision 2035, a comprehensive, 10-year long-term roadmap, designed to enhance the region into a more harmonious place to live, learn, work and visit. For a list of the top ten accomplishments of 2025, please click here.

Historic visitation and spending figures include:

  • 2019: 19.75 million visitors spending $10.045 billion
  • 2020: *Pandemic
  • 2021: 15.73 million visitors spending $8.33 billion
  • 2022: 17.53 million visitors spending $9.1 billion
  • 2023: 17.94 million visitors spending $9.6 billion
  • 2024: 19.08 million visitors spending $10.0 billion
  • 2025: 19.46 million visitors spending $10.8 billion

About New Orleans & Company
New Orleans & Company is the official destination sales and marketing organization for New Orleans’ tourism industry. Founded in 1960, the organization’s mission is to inspire, promote and encourage travel to New Orleans for the economic, social and community benefit of the city and its people. For more information, visit neworleans.com.

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