World Report

With its festivals, music and top-class cuisine, Louisiana, the most European-flavoured of all American states, is a popular tourist spot, but it is also full of business potential

he vibrant flavour ouisiana is in a particularly festive mood this year. The American state that for most people conjures up images of vast cotton plantations, hot jazz and steamboats lazily chugging up the Mississippi, is celebrating the bicentennial of the Louisiana Purchase, which effectively turned the young US into a world power overnight (see page 4).

The state has a colourful history and its Spanish, French and English influences are still very much in evidence. The British are among its most numerous
foreign visitors, and tourism is now the state’s second largest industry.
The great wealth of Louisiana was built on two key factors: the fertility of its soil and its abundant sugar and cotton harvests that quickly found global markets; as well as the Mississippi, the 2,348-mile long river that enables produce from the mid-west to be shipped out of the Gulf of Mexico to the rest of the world.

Sugar and cotton continue to be major crops, along with rice and maize. But the discovery of sulphur, oil and natural gas established Louisiana as a major producer of petrochemicals and petroleum products.
While agriculture and oil refining remain important to the economy, there is now a shift towards hi-tech industry, particularly biotechnology and medical research. Although much of the new investment is being made in New Orleans, the state government is also channelling resources into small towns and rural areas.

Kathleen Babineaux Blanco
‘We’re helping small cities bring downtown areas back to life’

Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, the state’s Lieutenant Governor (number two to the Governor), says: “We’ve got a lot of economic revitalisation programmes to help communities bring their downtown areas back to life. We have about 29 small cities in the state using these programmes, and they are creating plenty of jobs.”
Ms Blanco, who will be running for the Governorship when the incumbent Mike Foster steps down, was elected for her second term in office with an overwhelming majority.

Ms Blanco is a Democrat and Mr Foster a Republican, but she sees no conflict in this. It is unusual, she admits, but then explains: “We are independently elected; we’re not part of a ticket. This is due to our unique electoral process. There are very few states where such a thing can happen. Here, the Governor does not pick his Lieutenant Governor – we establish our own campaigns and raise our own money.”

Louisiana is traditionally a Democrat state, but a “conservative Democrat state, unlike the liberal Democrats of the East Coast”, says Ms Blanco. “Louisiana is by and large socially and economically conservative, but there are still some differences between us and the Republicans.”
Louisiana is one of only a handful of states in the US which has managed to achieve its economic expectations, although the uncertain global climate is making itself felt. “Fiscally, we have become less dependent on the oil and gas industry, and this has been important for our economy,” says Ms Blanco.
She is in direct control of the state department for culture, tourism and recreation.

“We have had astonishing growth in tourism, partly due to an aggressive award-winning advertisement campaign,” she says. “We also travel abroad each year to try and attract a new country into our international mix of visitors. We’re very intent on increasing the number of foreign tourists because they tend to stay longer and spend more money.”
The authorities are also encouraging more car manufacturers to set up in Shreveport, where General Motors has been investing heavily, but Ms Blanco says there are opportunities in most sectors.

“We still have a great deal of European flair,” she adds. “One of the reasons why we are so attractive to Europeans is that we are probably the most European of all the American states.”
Jody Hanson, who promotes travel and tourism marketing for New Orleans and Louisiana (Nola) in the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands, also emphasises the European connection. “The people in the South have a different approach to life. They’re tactile and warm. They’re really Mediterranean in their outlook – very family-oriented. New Orleans is very much a party town,” she says.

Festive fun: the world-famous Mardi Gras has been celebrated in New Orleans since 1838

Ms Hanson adds that one of their main targets is the fly-drive holidaymaker, who is on the increase, partly for practical reasons: there are no direct UK-New Orleans flights. Nola developed an initiative called ‘Rhythms of the South’ aimed specifically at such visitors – a co-operative promotion between the great music cities of New Orleans and Nashville, together with Atlanta.

There is also a ‘Deep South’ itinerary that takes in Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia, as well as Louisiana. “This came about because we realised that people who come to Louisiana usually want to visit one or two neighbouring states as well,” adds Ms Hanson.
Kirsty Dillury, another Nola promoter, says that although the Louisiana Purchase is historically more relevant to French and Spanish tourists, those taking part in the celebrations will be overwhelmingly American; the special exhibitions planned by museums throughout the state, and all the other events, can therefore be enjoyed just as much by English speakers.

“Louisiana has got something for everyone,” she says. “You have the Mardi Gras, the Jazzfest, the French food festival and so on. They are all brilliant. There’s something going on all year all around the state. The great thing about many of these events, such as the festival in Lafayette, is that they are family-oriented.”

Ray Nagin
‘We have to re-market ourselves on the international scene ’

As businessman-turned-politician Ray Nagin, now in his second year of office as Mayor of New Orleans, says: “It’s not hard to sell the city from the standpoint that it is a great place to visit.” However, he admits that until fairly recently it was difficult to attract business to the city.

“In fact, many companies were leaving,” he says. “The same applied to our university graduates, who were leaving for jobs in Atlanta, Houston and Dallas. We have seven or eight universities, with 65,000 college students, so we have the talent – and we want to keep it here.

“Many people do not appreciate the business opportunities here. We still have all the natural resources that made us a famous international city, but we have to re-market ourselves on the international scene.”

Don Hutchinson
‘People are beginning to see where they fit into the grand scheme of things’

Don Hutchinson, Louisiana’s Secretary of Economic Development, says: “IT and biotechnology are areas we see as exciting because of the research and analytical capabilities in these sectors.

“Manufacturing is still an important sector to invest in. Because of our geographic position, Louisiana has the advantage of being able to supply goods to a vast market in North America, as well as to Central and South America.”

The state government’s plan, Vision 2020, gives a framework for the Louisiana’s future development. “People are beginning to see where institutions and individuals fit into the grander scheme of things,” continues Mr Hutchinson.

“Before we started this integrated approach, the industries in the state were all doing their own thing. Now, local industries recognise the growing importance of working closely with the state in order to get policies implemented that will be to all our mutual benefits.
“Vision 2020 is the master plan for economic development. We need to stick with it in order to reap the benefits in the long term. The state had no plan until Vision 2020 was introduced in 1999. Now, slowly, the mindset of how we do business is changing.”