NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For additional information, contact:
Angie S. Manning, communications director
Visit Lake Charles
amanning@visitlakecharles.org
Visit Lake Charles Celebrates National Travel and Tourism Week May 3 - 9
LAKE CHARLES, La. (May 1, 2020) — Visit Lake Charles is celebrating National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW), May 3 – 9. The annual celebration recognizes the contributions and accomplishments of the U.S. travel industry. This year, NTTW honors the "Spirit of Travel" in recognition of the industry’s strength, selflessness and resiliency.
The 37th NTTW arrives at an opportune moment to unite the industry, celebrate its indomitable spirit and elevate the role it will play in America’s economic recovery. The travel and tourism industry has a powerful impact on Louisiana’s economy and has continued to grow each year. In 2019, Visit Lake Charles generated more than 80,000 hotel room night stays resulting in an economic impact of over $765 million for Calcasieu Parish.
“The CVB has fostered relationships with many great organizations, businesses and community leaders over the years which have led to in-depth conversations about the issues that our community is facing and the best pathways to move forward. Southwest Louisiana has always been a leader for tourism in Louisiana, and our motivated citizens are eager to create opportunities to thrive when the economy reopens. While the short term may be uncertain, I am confident that we will walk through this together and come out stronger on the other side,” said Kyle Edmiston, President/CEO of Visit Lake Charles.
The community can join in the National Travel & Tourism Week celebration this year on a virtual level. Visit Lake Charles has created Southwest Louisiana themed Zoom backgrounds for public use that showcase beautiful images of the destination, a Spotify playlist of local music, and the staff invites everyone to post your favorite pictures of Southwest Louisiana by using the hashtags #SpiritOfTravel and #LouisianasPlayground.
In addition, Visit Lake Charles encourages everyone to share “What the Spirit of Travel Means to You" on a personal level by video or written message via social media, also using the hashtags #SpiritOfTravel and #LouisianasPlayground.
Finally, on May 5, U.S. Travel is planning a #VirtualRoadTrip on Twitter @USTravel, and anyone can participate and view images and inspiration from around the country. Louisiana’s time to shine on that day will be 2 p.m.
To learn more about Visit Lake Charles’ NTTW plans and how you can participate, visit www.VisitLakeCharles.org/SpiritOfTravel. For the latest destination updates in Southwest Louisiana, log onto www.VisitLakeCharles.org/update.
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