Visit Lake Charles releases its 2026 Business Plan, outlining a strategic approach to driving visitation, increasing economic impact, and strengthening Southwest Louisiana’s position as a competitive and welcoming destination. The plan prioritizes sports tourism, regional sales growth, data-driven marketing, and continued destination development to build on current momentum throughout the year.
This year, sports tourism takes center stage as a major driver of visitation and national exposure for Louisiana’s Playground. A strong first quarter includes eight major sporting events in a seven-week span, with dozens more scheduled throughout the year. Visit Lake Charles will amplify these events through expanded digital content while also enhancing the athlete and family experience through a team restaurant program, driving spending beyond the playing field.
“It's important that we tell our story,” said Eric Zartler, the executive director of the Lake Charles Regional Sports Authority and senior vice president of sales at Visit Lake Charles. “So, it can reach visitors who may travel to Southwest Louisiana for future events.”
Sales efforts will focus on expanding meetings and conventions, a critical contributor to room nights, and overall economic impact. By leveraging proximity to the Texas market and pursuing new regional opportunities, the sales team is working to diversify demand and build sustainable relationships that generate business and support long-term growth.
“Breaking into that network is a process,” said Taylor Beard Stanley, the vice president of sales at Visit Lake Charles. “It starts with some awareness and relationship building, but it's time for us to really step into that regional market.”
The award-winning As Much Joy As You Can Pack In campaign will continue to serve as Visit Lake Charles’s primary message across all visitor markets. Marketing efforts will also expand through data-driven content to reach potential visitors. As more travelers are using AI platforms for trip planning and inspiration, Visit Lake Charles will partner with MindTrip to integrate and support personalized trip discovery and planning on visitlakecharles.org, as well as utilizing AI tools to optimize content performance. Storytelling remains central to the plan, from Louisiana’s Playground podcast to new short-form video series designed to highlight local culture, food, music and nature while building emotional connections that drive repeat visitation.
"We are taking what we know about our visitors and really using a smarter, more personalized strategy to connect those visitors to our destination,” said Timothy Bush, the chief marketing officer at Visit Lake Charles.
Visit Lake Charles will also continue to focus on destination development. From lakefront projects to the future indoor sports complex and the soon-to-open Mardi Gras Museum, these investments ensure that Southwest Louisiana is well-positioned to turn increased visitation into meaningful, long-term benefits for the community.
“We are coming into 2026 with tremendous momentum as a destination,” said Kyle Edmiston, president and CEO of Visit Lake Charles. “Our team continues to be best in class, committed to driving meaningful economic impact across all areas of our work.”
The complete 2026 Business Plan, including videos featuring Visit Lake Charles team leaders, is available at www.visitlakecharles.org/about-us.
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About Visit Lake Charles
Visit Lake Charles, the official destination marketing organization for Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana, is the only organization in Southwest Louisiana providing advocacy, promotion and education for the tourism industry. For more information on Visit Lake Charles and things to see and do in Louisiana’s Playground, log on to VisitLakeCharles.org.
