If you’re from the Northeast like myself, Mardi Gras is an interesting day, however we really don’t celebrate it as much as our neighbors to the south do…they LOVE Mardi Gras! In fact, the city of New Orleans sees some of its biggest tourist numbers in the week leading up to Ash Wednesday. Here’s some of their statistics:
Annually, tourism in New Orleans is a $5.5 billion industry – that equates to $15.2
million lost every day without tourism
Tourism accounts for 40 percent of New Orleans’ tax revenue annually
Tourism employed 85,000 people (pre-Katrina), making it New Orleans’ top industry
Mardi Gras generates $20.5 million in direct tax revenues for the city of New Orleans and
has a direct cost of $4.6 million for additional city services, including police overtime,
sanitation, etc. – a more than 4-to-1 return on investment
Mardi Gras seems to be a great event that I think everyone should attend at least once in their lifetime. New Orleans is a wonderful city that has so much to offer tourists including fun times, lasting memories, and of course…amazing food. So when you head down to the French Quarter, have fun, but be smart, because you don’t want to have to file a CT insurance claim while on vacation celebrating Mardi Gras!