Visit Lake Charles will celebrate National Travel and Tourism Week, May 1-7, both commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) and the national theme of the Future of Travel as it relates to Southwest Louisiana. 
 

“The CVB has come far over the past 50 years by infusing the local economy with travel expenditures through hosting a variety of events as well as supporting local arts, culture, sports, and communities through grant programs. The future of tourism is promising for Southwest Louisiana with more than $230 million of direct tourism product development along the lakefront alone. This National Travel & Tourism Week, we are also looking forward to honoring frontline workers and those who work behind the scenes to support the destination through the spirit of hospitality,” said Kyle Edmiston, President/CEO of Visit Lake Charles. 

The 2022 NTTW theme aims to restore the workforce, help communities recover, foster sustainability, usher in new innovations, and reconnect travelers in the U.S. and around the globe. The future of travel looks different everywhere, but it is significant to the story of Calcasieu Parish after surviving back-to-back disasters. The destination weathered two hurricanes, a winter storm, and a flood amid the COVID-19 pandemic.  
 

“NTTW has special significance this year as the travel industry looks ahead to a bright future,” said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow. “This NTTW is an opportunity to recognize the collective strength of the U.S. travel industry and how we are rebuilding to be more dynamic, innovative, sustainable, and inclusive in the months and years to come.” 

 

“Southwest Louisiana has had multiple challenges through natural disasters on top of the pandemic. However, this spring, the area has hosted Mardi Gras, state basketball tournament, a record-breaking Police Jury Association convention, the PGA Korn Ferry Tour Lake Charles Championship, and we have many more conventions and tournaments on the books for 2022. It is a testament to the people of Southwest Louisiana that we are able to move forward and host events of this stature after having been through so much,” said Edmiston. 

 

Celebrated annually during the first full week in May, NTTW was created by Congress in 1983 to lift the economic power of travel in the U.S. The 39th Annual NTTW (May 1-7) arrives as the industry looks ahead to future growth and success following the challenges of the past two years.  

 

To learn more about National Travel and Tourism Week, visit ustravel.org/NTTW or follow #FutureOfTravel on social media channels. For more information about Visit Lake Charles efforts to celebrate National Travel and Tourism Week, visit www.visitlakecharles.org/FutureOfTravel