NEW ORLEANS – (December 14, 2017) – New Orleans continues to be recognized as a top destination to visit in 2018 by prestigious travel and lifestyle publications. Our Tricentennial, which will feature a yearlong series of celebratory events, in addition to the numerous world-renowned annual festivals, culture, cuisine, music and hospitality make New Orleans the top destination to visit next year.

  • Condé Nast Traveler named New Orleans number five of their “18 Best Places to Travel in 2018.” One of only two U.S. cities and listed among international destinations such as Antarctica, the Azores and Malta, the city’s Tricentennial and fun new events were noted as reasons to visit in the coming year.
  • Travel + Leisure announced their “50 Best Places to Travel in 2018”, and New Orleans was named among the list of national and international destinations. Listed among hotspots such as Zambia and Fiji, Travel + Leisure contributors tout the new resurgence of the Central Business District and upcoming updates to the riverfront as reasons to visit.
  • Fodor’s Travel listed New Orleans on their “Go List” as one of their 52 destinations to visit in 2018, highlighting the tricentennial, mix of classic and contemporary attractions and restaurants and festival season. Additionally,
  • Frommer’s Travel Guides included New Orleans as one of the “Best Places to Go in 2018”, selected by their authors and editors from around the world.
  • Influential travel blog The Points Guy included New Orleans on their “18 Amazing Places to Travel in 2018” list. New Orleans is one of only two U.S. destinations recommended.

“New Orleans has long been a favorite destination for travelers to enjoy, as the combination of living history, Southern hospitality, rich culture and authenticity cannot be matched anywhere else in the world. It is an incredible honor for such prominent travel media to include us in these prestigious lists, and we expect more rankings like this to come as we roll into the new year,” said Stephen Perry, President and CEO of the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau. “As we prepare for the city’s Tricentennial in 2018, we look forward to showcasing all New Orleans has to offer – from live music to art, a mix of cuisine and centuries-old architecture – all blended together making New Orleans simply one of the best cities on Earth.”

Holiday celebrations in New Orleans have also earned the city national placement. USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice named New Orleans as a “Best Place to Ring in the New Year”. PopSugar.com named New Orleans one of “The World’s Top 10 Most Glamorous Cities to Ring in the New Year”. The city was nominated by a member of their expert panel, and the public voted for New Orleans to receive this honor. Also, USNews.com also highlighted New Orleans as the “Best Winter Getaway” destination in each state, highlighting the Krewe of Jingle parade and the annual Allstate Sugar Bowl.

“New Orleans takes great pleasure in introducing visitors to our unique way of celebrating Christmas and the New Year,” said Mark Romig, President and CEO of New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation (NOTMC). “We are very honored to be recommended by USA Today and others as a top place to celebrate the holidays, especially going into our Tricentennial year in 2018.”

As this year come to a wrap, New Orleans has also been highlighted as one of the best destinations visited in 2017.  Travel Weekly named New Orleans among the 2017 Reader’s Choice finalists for top U.S. destination. Condé Nast Traveler named New Orleans one of The Top Best Big Cities in the U.S. for 2017, where readers were asked to survey various destination aspects, including hotels, cuisine, airports and overall value. Travel + Leisure’s America’s Favorite Cities survey placed New Orleans at No. 2, where readers were asked to share details on what their hometowns and cities do best.

The New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau (NOCVB) is a nationally accredited, 1,100-member destination marketing organization and the largest and most successful private economic development corporation in Louisiana. The CVB and its members influence thousands of decision-makers and millions of visitors to choose New Orleans through direct sales, marketing, public relations, branding and visitor services at our New Orleans headquarters and offices in Chicago, Columbia, SC, Washington, D.C., the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada, Brazil and China. Consistently recognized as one of the top five CVBs in the country, the New Orleans CVB celebrates its 57th anniversary in 2017. For more information, please visit www.neworleans.com; www.facebook.com/neworleans; www.twitter.com/VisitNewOrleans.

The New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation is the City of New Orleans’ official leisure travel promotion agency created to foster jobs and economic growth by developing the tourism industry in New Orleans. NOTMC is publicly funded and provides year-round online marketing, advertising, public relations and special event programming in order to support the growth of leisure travel to New Orleans.

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Media Contacts:
Kristian Sonnier, New Orleans CVB, 504-566-5045, ksonnier@neworleanscvb.com
Lea Sinclair, NOTMC, 504-491-5330, lea@notmc.com