Reallocation of Tourism Revenue

Tourism in New Orleans is a $9 billion dollar industry, yet many of our musicians, artists, service industry workers, and traditional culture bearers—the backbone of the tourism industry— are living near the poverty line, and many small cultural businesses are struggling.  The New Orleans Convention Center sits on an over $200 million surplus, which is constantly growing.  In 2017, they contributed $23 million to the ‘Public Safety Improvements Plan’, largely to install surveillance cameras and rebuild Bourbon Street—but contributed nothing to the well being of the workers.

We know that this form of ‘trickle down tourism’, where massive amounts of money are invested in large developments being pushed by already wealthy developers is both fundamentally inequitable and unsustainable. In 2018, we will be launching a campaign to ensure some to the surplus tourism revenue is used to directly support the people that provide the physical and creative labor that keep the industry afloat.

Keep checking back for updates on this crucial part of our work.