‘Feed Your Soul’ in Louisiana this year

New tours, a focus on festivals and a major international airport expansion will mark 2019 for a newly rebranded Louisiana Tourism, which aims to bring a little Southern hospitality to Canadian travellers this winter.

A delegation of Louisiana tourism representatives met with Canadian travel media yesterday, sharing updates on what the coming year will bring for visitors heading to the state.

The lunch also served as the Canadian launch for the Louisiana Office of Tourism’s new brand, titled ‘Feed Your Soul,’ featured in three televised ads showcasing some of the state’s biggest tourism draws, including zydeco music, Cajun cuisine and swamp tours.

“We live for our music, our culture and especially our food,” said Doug Bourgeois, Louisiana’s assistant secretary, Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism, about the new campaign. “It’s all about that special feeling you get in Louisiana – when you take a bite of a spicy gumbo, or walking the halls of the auditorium in Shreveport where the phrase ‘Elvis has left the building’ was coined, or at Poverty Point, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where civilization existed before the pyramids.”

READ MORE: Disney Cruise Line to sail from New Orleans for first time

What's new in Louisiana?

PAX met one-on-one with the four Louisiana destinations on hand for the lunch, sharing their updates for the coming year.

New Orleans Plantation Country

Comprised of 10 former plantation properties, New Orleans Plantation Country welcomes guests with the mission of “fleshing out the story of slavery and how it affected those involved,” said Jo Banner, communications manager for River Parishes Tourist Commission.

In addition to history, New Orleans Plantation Country has also recently added swamp tours by kayak, allowing guests to get up close to the local waterways and wildlife.

Louisiana Office of Tourism

As Louisiana wraps up its major 2018 celebrations, including New Orleans’ tricentennial and the 150^th anniversary of Tabasco hot sauce, Charlie Whinham, public information officer, Louisiana Office of Tourism said that the state is looking ahead to a number of developments in the coming years.

Guests arriving at New Orleans’ Louis Armstrong International Airport next spring will be greeted with a brand new terminal, a $1 billion expansion project slated to open May 15, 2019. In addition, the city’s cruise arrivals will increase in the coming years, as Disney Cruise Line is set to sail from the city on a number of Caribbean itineraries beginning in 2020.

Baton Rouge

While politics dominate the Louisiana state capital of Baton Rouge (home to the tallest state capital building in the U.S.), the city knows how to have a good time, said Christy Lohman, communications specialist for Visit Baton Rouge.

While the New Orleans Saints may be the more well-known football team, the Baton Rouge-based Louisiana State University Tigers are tops when it comes to tailgating – often times a bigger draw than the game itself, with thousands of fans gathering outside the stadium to cook up Southern specialties.

Lafayette

With numerous festivals taking place throughout the year, “there’s something happening every weekend!” in Lafayette, said Jesse Guidry, vice-president of communications for the Lafayette Convention & Visitors Commission.

Among the city’s main festivals are what Guidry described as Lafayette’s “rural” version of Mardi Gras in February, followed by Festival International in April – welcoming more than 400,000 visitors to one of largest outdoor Francophone events in U.S. – and Festival Acadiens in October, a free music and culinary event held over three days.

The city is also promoting a number of trails including those featuring historic dance halls, the best spots for boudin sausage and azaleas, some of which are more than 150 years old.

Active travellers can check out the Vermillion Voyage – a three day 50 mile guided paddle through Lafayette – as well as Cycle Zydeco, a five-day cycle tour through the city.