A ‘do-over’ weekendThe possibility that Ida is the event that will finally push visitors over the edge, keeping them away long-term, is what has some in the hospitality sector scared. After Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, the number of tourists in the city plummeted more than 60 percent. “We want people to understand this was not a Hurricane Katrina event for New Orleans,” said Kelly Schulz, a spokeswoman for New Orleans & Company, the official marketing organization for the New Orleans tourism industry. Epidemiologists have blamed Mardi Gras in February 2020 for creating one of the most explosive outbreaks of coronavirus in the world. Labor Day weekend, which falls right in the middle of the most active part of the hurricane season, has not traditionally been a popular time for weddings in New Orleans.

Source: International New York Times September 02, 2021 19:41 UTC