New Orleans: Underwater Wasteland Or Budget Bonanza?

Like an iced drink in the hot summer, it sounds sothe incredible location and accessibility. New
good. New Orleans, or just call it the "Big Easy." InOrleans is roughly in the center of the country,
the same moment, images of a non-stop partybut far enough south that the snow doesn't
town mingle with the scenes of the Hurricanepound it in the winter. Interstate 10 runs right
Katrina aftermath that have been engraved intothrough it. American, Delta, Southwest, US Air,
our minds by watching the news. So what doesand several more airlines continuously fly there
New Orleans have to do with saving money onfrom nearby Atlanta and Houston, but non-stop
travel, and aren't there are a lot of things toflights also come from Dallas, Denver, Chicago,
worry about if you go there? *After two years,Detroit, New York, DC, Los Angeles, Las Vegas,
is the city still underwater? No, the flooding was aand more cities. But the layout is absolutely the
temporary problem directly resulting from thebest part. It is an easy 1.5 miles from one end of
storm. *Are there lawless vigilantes roaming andthe French Quarter to the other end of the
looting the city? No, the ratio of police officers toWarehouse District. The CBD lies in the middle
citizens is actually double the pre-Katrina levels.with a range of brand name hotels that vary
*Are the historic areas destroyed? No, thefrom limited service to luxury. There are the
historic areas got the lesser of the effects ofhistoric hotels in 'the Quarter' and several newer
Katrina. *Is New Orleans a deserted ghost town?hotels in the Warehouse District, including one with
No, there are about 200,000 people living in Newa Starbucks right in the hotel. But in the end, it all
Orleans itself, with over a million in the metrocomes down to the money you save. Here is a
area. The city of New Orleans is heavilygood comparison. Starting with a hotel in the New
dependent on the visitor, it's largest industry byOrleans CBD, a random week was picked and
far. With over $5 billion per year at stake inprices pulled from the internet for a Tuesday
conventions, meetings, and tourism in the city: thearrival / Friday departure (Nov 6-9). For a
residents, the government, and the businesscomparable hotel room for 3 nights in equally
community have worked feverishly to make sureaccessible cities, $90 was saved over Chicago and
that the key areas - the French Quarter, theroughly $120 over Dallas, Atlanta, or Houston. If
central business district (CBD), and the Warehouseyou travel to New Orleans, you are in a position
District are ready for visitors to return. Judgeto save a lot of money. The weak demand
their efforts: In 2006, the American Librarymakes it a traveler's market. You may not be
Association trusted New Orleans with aable to pronounce Tchoupitoulas Street (I had to
20,000-person convention. In 2007 so far, theask a local), but you can save a lot of money. For
Healthcare Information & Management Systemspictures of the city from my recent tour look at
Society has held a 24,000-person convention andour website to experience beautiful, historic, and
the National Collegiate Athletic Association has heldalive New Orleans. See you there!
a 20,000-person convention. Recent corporateJim Branham is a Group Specialist for Sell Away, a
meetings held in the city include those ofgroups/meetings travel agency based in Dallas,
Whirlpool, Coca-Cola, Konica, Minolta, SherwinTX. They find and negotiate the best prices for
Williams, and IBM. After all, it's easy to see whygroups headed anywhere in the continental USA.
New Orleans would be a great choice because of