The Louisiana Office of Tourism, the official tourism promotional agency for the state of Louisiana, situated in the southern United States, is conducting its first sales mission to India, covering Mumbai and New Delhi, the two largest source cities for outbound travel in India.

Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana Billy Nungesser is leading the delegation, which also includes several senior officials of tourism departments, both at the national and state level, including Doug Bourgeois, Assistant Secretary of Tourism, Louisiana Office of Tourism, along with Louisiana’s partners Visit Lake Charles, New Orleans & Company and Mississippi River Country. 

Billy Nungesser

Addressing the press in New Delhi, Governor Nungesser said that the primary objective of the trip to India was to increase destination awareness amongst the travel and media on the diverse range of tourism offerings available for potential Indian visitors.

In his speech Nungesser emphasised the similarities between the cultures in India and Louisiana. “I found Indians to be very warm and welcoming people and that is exactly how we are in Louisiana as well. Both the peoples make even strangers feel very welcome. And of course, we both love spicy food. I am encouraged by the families and the friendly family atmosphere I feel here, and I am very encouraged that we will have a long friendship and partnership and we will be back many times to promote Louisiana,’’ Nungesser told the media.

On the sidelines of the media meet, Nungesser explained to India Outbound his objectives and vision for developing the Indian market at length.

“We are here on a tourism mission to attract visitors to Louisiana. We feel it is a great opportunity. Prior to us coming here to embark on this mission, we have seen a large number of visitors from India already come to Louisiana. So, we know it is a great market and we are here to discover and learn the best way to market our state and get people excited about coming to Louisiana,’’ Nungesser told India Outbound.

“We hope to increase the number of tourists from all over the world and from India. Before Covid-19, Louisiana had over 54 million visitors in 2019, which are incredible numbers for a state our size. We hit way above our weight and it is because there are so many unique things there from the food and the culture to music. We have over 400 fairs and festivals, so any day of the week, year-round, there is something exciting going on all over Louisiana. So, we know that people will come, have a great time and spread that word. It is happening for every market. I think India is going to be a great opportunity to grow those numbers,’’ he added.

Nungesser said he had ambitious targets for India after this sales mission. “Well, I think if we can double the numbers from the past, that will be a significant outcome of the visit,” he said.

Doug Bourgeois

At the press meet, Doug Bourgeois, Assistant Secretary of Tourism, made an engaging presentation about Louisiana, highlighting the key experiences, activities and cultural aspects that visitors from India and other parts of the world can discover in Louisiana.

“We are very excited to have continued our work in India. The Indian traveller is looking for the kind of authentic experiences, amazing music and delicious food that Louisiana is known for. We can’t wait to welcome even more visitors from India to our great state,” Bourgeois told the gathering.

He later explained the profile of visitors from India currently travelling to Louisiana.

“We are seeing three segments of visitors to Louisiana from India. First, we have a luxury segment who are coming for the high-end products that we do have to offer in Louisiana. But then we are also seeing a number of families and we have tried to organise experiences for those families to get out and see the authentic Louisiana, through road trips and to experience our outdoors,’’ Bourgeois told India Outbound.

“But we are also seeing younger travellers, adventurous Indian young travellers that want to see what the real Louisiana is like. And I think that is a big focus for us this year,’’ he added.

According to a press statement, visitor numbers from India to the USA continue to set new records. After the rapid recovery in visitor arrivals in 2023, exceeding pre-pandemic numbers, there has been an impressive growth of 35 pc in arrivals to the USA between January- July 2024, making India the second-largest overseas market for the USA. 

The sales mission by Louisiana has been supported by a grant from the US Department of Commerce under the Market Development Cooperator Programme and the expansion to the India market includes collaboration with US Commercial Services and the US Embassy as part of the International Travel Office’s efforts.

According to the statement, Louisiana is conveniently located in the Southeastern region of the United States and is easily accessible from major gateway cities of New York, Newark, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, and Atlanta, making it a great addition to any US itinerary.  The primary gateway to Louisiana by air is New Orleans, with its newly renovated Louis Armstrong International Airport, facilitating easy access from all important Indian outbound cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai.

In 2024, Louisiana is celebrating the Year of Music, highlighting its rich musical heritage as the birthplace of Jazz, Cajun and Zydeco forms of music. This campaign aims to attract visitors from around the world by showcasing the state’s vibrant and unique musical legacy, adds the statement.