New Orleans City Awards and Honors
- Southern Living names Commander's Palace as one of the South's Most Legendary Restaurants.
- USA Today 10Best names Beignet Fest #8 on its 2026 list of the Best Specialty Food Festivals in the United States.
- Southern Living named New Orleans as one of the Best Cities in the South.
- USA Today 10Best recently announced the winners of several reader chosen awards. The New Orleans Museum of Art was ranked 10th best in the country and the Sydney and Walda Bestoff Sculpture Garden at City Park was selected as the 9th best in the nation. Also, when it comes to Best Immersive Art Experiences JAMNOLA was voted 5th best in the U.S.
- On January 6, 2026, the Louisiana Children’s Museum was named one of the Top 9 Children’s Museums in the U.S. by Travel + Leisure, 9 Best Children's Museums in the U.S.
- New Orleans Named Number 5 of TripAdvisor’s top U.S. cities to visit in 2026
- In partnership with Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities announced that the Historic New Orleans Collection’s “Captive State: Louisiana and the Making of Mass Incarceration” exhibition has been selected as the 2026 Museum Exhibition of the Year.
- Yahoo! Travel named New Orleans as a top destination to visit in March
- It was announced in January 2026 that the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport received the Airports Council International North America 2025 Excellence in Airport Marketing, Communications and Customer Experience Awards for its music program. Through the airport’s Music @ MSY Residency Program, the airport and music community representatives select a rotating lineup of local musical acts to perform on peak travel days and on stages throughout the terminal.
- USA Today included New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in its list of 10 Spring Break Trips That Will Impress Even The Toughest Teens.
- Beignet Fest has been named one of the Top 10 Best Specialty Food Festivals in the United States, earning the No. 8 spot in the 2026 USA TODAY 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards.
- The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival has been named one of the Top 10 Music Festivals across the US, earning the No. 7 spot in the USA TODAY 10 Best Readers' Choice Awards.
- The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport was named Best Airport in North America for the fifth consecutive year by Airports Council International’s Airport Service Quality Awards and was inducted into the ACI World Director General’s Roll of Excellence
- Only In Your State named New Orleans among the Top 10 Safest Destinations in the U.S. for Women Traveling Solo
- New Orleans was named one of Forbes Travel Guide’s Top 12 Destinations for 2025.
- Conde Nast Traveler named New Orleans one of the Best Places to Go in the US in 2025.
- A new “Top 250” study found that 88 percent of the top 250 conventions in the country will meet in only 20 cities and New Orleans tops the list at number three above top-tier convention destinations. New Orleans’ high ranking reinforces that customers appreciate New Orleans’ walkability, compact geographic footprint, world-class venues, unmatched culture and hospitality expertise. More Information Here.
- Prevue Meetings + Incentives Magazine named .
- New Orleans ranked "The Most Walkable City in the US" by AllClear, August 2024
- New Orleans named one of "The best places to go for New Years", Conde Nast Traveller, 2024
- New Orleans is "Top Five in the US for Auto/Transit Ratio" (jobs reachable by public transportation), New Geography, 2024
- New Orleans named one of 15 "Best Places to Travel in August 2024" - Travel+Leisure, May 2024
- "I can't remember enjoying eating anywhere in the USA as much as in New Orleans" - The Most Fun City In All Of America, According To Travel Expert Rick Steves, www.explore.com, 2024
- New Orleans has been voted one of the South’s Best by the readers of Southern Living. New Orleans is number 4 in the Top 25 Best Cities in the South.
- New Orleans named Best Food Destination in the US (for the second year in a row) in the 2024 Travelers' Choice Awards, TripAdvisor, 2024
- New Orleans named in Time Out's Best Cities in the World To Visit in 2024, Time Out, January 2024
New Orleans & Company Awards & Honors
- Stephanie Turner was named a 2026 Smart Woman in Meetings Hall of Fame inductee by SmartMeetings, recognizing outstanding leadership and impact in the meetings and event industry.
- New Orleans CityBusiness named Walt Leger III among its 2026 Most Admired C-Suite Executives, recognizing top regional leaders for excellence in leadership, vision and community impact.
- In 2024, New Orleans & Company was named as a Great Place to Work in the 2024 Times Picayune’ s Top Workplaces and a New Orleans City Business Best Place to Work. Both honors are completely based on employee feedback collected and analyzed by third parties.
- Smart Meetings Magazine has named New Orleans & Company as a winner of its 12th annual Platinum Choice Awards. The award is a direct reflection of the esteem in which New Orleans & Company is held by our industry peers. The winners also demonstrate their commitment to excellence by continuing to reinvent themselves, exceeding expectations and anticipating attendee needs.
- Prevue Magazine Visionary Awards - New Orleans & Company won a Gold Award for Best CVB/DMO Meeting & Incentive Planner Support by region (SE USA) and S – and a Silver Award for best U.S. Destination for Meetings & Conventions (Small - under 500,000 population)
- Corporate & Incentive Travel Magazine picked New Orleans & Company for its Award of Excellence. 2024
- New Orleans & Company wins the Silver Awards for both Best Domestic Destination and Best Domestict Culinary Destination at the annual Travvy Awards, 2024
- New Orleans & Company's "COOLinary" Campaign wins Gold at the 2024 Travel Weekly Magellan Awards, 2024
- New Orleans & Company wins "Best of Award: Best South CVBs/DMOs", Meetings Today, 2024
- New Orleans & Company Wins 2024 Brand USA "Outstanding Video Storytelling Award Showcasing Diversity", Brand USA, August 2024
