Culture & Tourism Edition

My visit to Africa this summer was the trip of a lifetime: a safari in the Serengeti, sailing and snorkeling in Zanzibar and a city experience in Cape Town.

New Orleans & Company rebranded from New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau this year to better reflect our work and the people we serve.

You’ll find the Cane River tucked away in the heart of Louisiana’s pecan country. It’s a place known for fertile row crops, famous cotton production, significant Southern plantations and prized pecan orchards.

Looking ahead to 2019 and beyond, we are thrilled about the new developments that will give visitors and locals alike even more reasons to love the Big Easy.

An established program that has produced some of the South’s finest chefs, Delgado Culinary Arts prepares students for careers in the fast-paced food preparation industry.

HI USA will award several $2,000 travel scholarships to underserved New Orleanians, ages 18-30, to support educational or service learning journeys abroad.

Emerge Louisiana recruits, trains and supports Democratic women who want to run for office. Emerge Louisiana launched in 2017 as the 19th state in the Emerge America network.

Did you know tourism is New Orleans’ largest industry? Hospitality and tourism employ more than 89,000 New Orleanians and generate billions of dollars annually.

It’s no secret that people around the world love the city of New Orleans. And, after all, who can blame them? Author Chris Rose put it best: “You can live in any city in America, but New Orleans is the only city that lives in you.”

How do you combine the best parts of New Orleans in one day? By taking Gray Line’s Plantation Combo, Brunch & Swamp Tour. Begin your day at Oak Alley Plantation, touring the grounds to see what’s so special about those 300-year-old oak trees.

Can you imagine New Orleans without The French Quarter? That was almost the case in the early 1900s, when people considered leveling portions of the city’s oldest district and starting anew.

As a travel advisor, I am often told that people want to travel to experience new cultures. It is my job (and my passion) to ensure exactly that.

NOBA welcomes Dance Theatre of Harlem as the company brings a milestone program to New Orleans. Celebrating its 50th anniversary, DTH continues its legacy of breaking boundaries and transforming lives through ballet.

The energy was palpable as the nation’s esteemed restaurateurs and chefs gathered in New Orleans for the American Culinary & Hospitality Symposium. As a restaurant owner and woman in the hospitality industry, I was most looking forward to “Backwards in High Heels,” an all-female panel featuring Dominique Crenn, Barbara Lynch, Leah Chase, Jessica Harris, Sheila Johnson, Camilla Marcus and Kim Severson.

The hospitality and tourism industry means jobs and a future for your career. Meet Janeè Taylor, line cook at Meril. She’s a NOLA native and a graduate of Warren Easton Charter High School and New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA)’s culinary arts program.

New Orleans routinely ranks among the top places to visit in the world.

What’s not to love about New Orleans? There are always great things to see and do!

The New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau launched a new, local television and print campaign showcasing some of the New Orleanians who make up the tourism industry.

The New Orleans Museum of Art marks the Tricentennial with exhibitions celebrating some of NOLA’s defining elements.

As America’s first city of opera, New Orleans opera is 222 years old and going strong. This year, The New Orleans Opera celebrates its 75th Anniversary in its current incarnation, with seven operas.

Five Tony Awards. Critical acclaim. A Pulitzer finalist. The Broadway musical sensation “FUN HOME” opens Southern Rep Theatre’s new season, playing at NOCCA through October 22.

With the mindset that New Orleans’ 300-year history is built on stories, here comes “One Time, in New Orleans,” the city’s national advertising campaign.

From the French Quarter to the Garden District, there is no better way to see the city than from the top deck of a double-decker fun buses.

The New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau is hosting a Job Fest at the Treme Center, 900 N. Villere St., on Wednesday, October 18, from 12 – 3PM.

What do you think of when you hear “contemporary coastal?” To me or executive chef Robert Vasquez, it means Briquette, our latest addition to New Orleans’ Warehouse District.

This November 11 and 12, Downtown Covington will host the Three Rivers Art Festival, a two-day cultural event. Attendees will stroll down Columbia Street in the town’s Cultural Arts District and shop, perusing more than 200 artist tents with work ranging from painting to metalwork and everything in between.

THNOC’s annual Les Comediens Français Lecture celebrates the lasting French influence in New Orleans culture.

In NOLA, it’s easy to celebrate, especially when giving back to the community. Don’t miss these festivals with heart:

NOLA’s Bluebird Café. That’s what the House of Blues hopes to create in its Foundation Room twice a month with its Songwriter Sessions program. Hosted by songwriter Jim McCormick, these intimate sessions will allow New Orleanians to showcase their songwriting ability.