Visit The Northshore’s Marketing Efforts Support Substantial Economic Impact for the Parish
Mandeville, Louisiana (August 20, 2024) – St. Tammany Parish’s destination marketing organization, Visit The Northshore, has helped generate a positive economic impact from visitation in 2023 through its robust marketing efforts, including a complete rebranding last year. According to a recent study, the parish welcomed nearly 3 million visitors in 2023, and they spent $1.3 billion. That’s the third highest amount of spend by visitors among all destinations in Louisiana.
The positive economic impact benefited parish residents, saving each household $1,345 in taxes. That resident savings is tied directly to state and local tax revenues paid by visitors to the parish. Tourism also supported 13,907 jobs on The Northshore, which equates to $426 million in employment earnings.
“Since rebranding one year ago, there’s been a palpable increase in parish pride and greater regional recognition of Visit The Northshore’s impact,” said Katie Guasco, chief marketing officer of Visit The Northshore. “Our new brand, and all that it encompasses, is influencing visitors and residents alike, as evidenced by these numbers and what we’ve been hearing and seeing throughout our communities.”
Since 1976, Visit The Northshore has been promoting both new and preexisting businesses to visitors from near and far. In addition, each year brings an influx of new entrepreneurs looking to establish a successful tourism business in the growing parish.
“Our organization has been playing a critical role in influencing the visitor economy for The Northshore since our inception,” said Donna O’Daniels, president and CEO of Visit The Northshore. “We’re so proud of what this community has been able to accomplish together, and we look forward to even greater growth moving forward.”
Visit The Northshore uses a variety of marketing methods to target and promote the incredible offerings and beauty of the parish. This year the organization launched a new destination podcast, “All the Waves,” which delivers fun, vibrant and engaging stories from personalities throughout its communities. The podcast is available at AllTheWavesPodcast.com and on any podcast platform. The tourism office also publishes a biannual visitors guide that has won three travel-industry awards in the past year. In addition, it uses innovative social media tactics that include the organization’s recently launched “Easy Escape Insiders,” a group of influencers who each share authentic, engaging content about the destination.
Visit The Northshore has been making waves outside the parish, too. In 2023, the organization was reaccredited through Destination International’s Marketing Accreditation Program. Destinations International is the world’s largest resource for destination organizations, convention and visitors bureaus, and tourism boards, and the accreditation recognizes the organization's commitment to tourism industry excellence. In addition, three staff members of Visit The Northshore – Donna O’Daniels, Katie Guasco and Tanya Leader (vice president of sales and services) – completed the Certified Destination Management Executive program, which is considered the tourism industry’s highest individual educational achievement.
In 2025, Visit The Northshore will launch a hospitality training program for industry partners called “Shore & Tell University.” Those enrolled in the program will participate in hands-on training, webinars and workshops to learn best practices and develop the essential skills needed to provide exceptional guest experiences for visitors.
To put the economic news into practical terms, the $1,345 in taxes that each parish household saves thanks to visitor-generated revenue can be spelled out in these “only-on-The Northshore” statistics:
- 84 shrimp po-boys served throughout the parish
- 134 Abita Brewery tours in Abita Springs
- 38 boat rides along the Honey Island Swamp in Slidell
- 102 pounds of fudge from The Candy Bank in Mandeville
- 89 one-hour bike rentals on the Tammany Trace
For more information about Visit The Northshore, please go to www.VisitTheNorthshore.com.
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About Visit The Northshore
Visit The Northshore is a public agency established in 1976, dedicated to promoting St. Tammany Parish as a premier travel destination. Funded by hotel occupancy tax and a portion of state sales tax on lodging, Visit The Northshore operates without using resident taxes. Recognized with numerous industry awards and accredited by Destination International’s Destination Marketing Accreditation Program, Visit The Northshore’s mission is to enhance the economic impact of tourism in the area. As a Destination Marketing Organization, Visit The Northshore is committed to marketing and promoting the region while fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment for all visitors. Visit The Northshore invites everyone to discover the unique charm and natural beauty of Louisiana's Easy Escape. For more information, visit www.VisitTheNorthshore.com.
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