01
19.46M
visitors in 2025
New Orleans welcomed 19.46 million visitors in 2025, its third year ever above the 19 million mark.
Source: New Orleans & Company, 2025 visitation results, June 3, 2026 ↗New Orleans city facts
New Orleans
tourism statistics
for 2026.
Current, citable figures on the people, gatherings, and citywide rhythms that keep New Orleans moving.
Updated August 25, 2026
The short version
A city built
to gather.
New Orleans is shaped by the people who arrive for a weekend, a convention, a cruise, a parade, or one particular meal and end up with a story worth carrying home. These figures collect the latest published numbers from local institutions that track that movement.
Use the anchors below to cite a single figure, or link to this page when the broader picture is useful.
The numbers
New Orleans, by the figures.
02
$10.8B
visitor spending in 2025
Visitors spent $10.8 billion in New Orleans during 2025, according to the city's destination marketing organization.
Source: New Orleans & Company, 2025 visitation results, June 3, 2026 ↗03
85,000+
tourism and hospitality jobs
Tourism and hospitality support more than 85,000 jobs and careers across the New Orleans area.
Source: New Orleans & Company, 2025 visitation results, June 3, 2026 ↗04
$2B+
annual direct spending from meetings
Meetings and conventions contribute more than $2 billion in direct spending each year.
Source: New Orleans & Company, 2024 visitation results, June 13, 2025 ↗05
1,067,407
cruise passenger movements in 2025
Port NOLA recorded 1,067,407 cruise passenger movements in 2025, its ninth year above one million, excluding 2020 and 2021.
Source: Port of New Orleans, 2025 cruise passenger movements, January 21, 2026 ↗06
300,000+
annual hotel room nights tied to cruising
Port NOLA says cruise guests generate more than 300,000 local hotel room nights each year.
Source: Port of New Orleans, cruise passenger record announcement, April 10, 2025 ↗07
$125M+
annual local spending from cruise guests
Cruise guests account for upward of $125 million in local spending each year, according to Port NOLA.
Source: Port of New Orleans, cruise passenger record announcement, April 10, 2025 ↗08
$891.2M
Mardi Gras economic impact
A 2024 study put Mardi Gras' total direct and indirect economic impact on New Orleans at $891,202,780.
Source: New Orleans & Company, Mardi Gras economic impact study, April 9, 2024 ↗Method and sources
How to read
these figures.
Figures are drawn from the latest relevant publications available as of August 25, 2026. They describe visitor activity, spending, jobs, and passenger movement reported by New Orleans & Company and Port NOLA. Different measures cover different periods, so each statistic names the publication date of its source.
- New Orleans & Company, 2025 visitation results, June 3, 2026 ↗
- New Orleans & Company, 2024 visitation results, June 13, 2025 ↗
- Port of New Orleans, 2025 cruise passenger movements, January 21, 2026 ↗
- Port of New Orleans, cruise passenger record announcement, April 10, 2025 ↗
- New Orleans & Company, Mardi Gras economic impact study, April 9, 2024 ↗
Cite this page
Share the
city story.
Suggested citation: ZEAUXDIAC. “New Orleans Tourism Statistics: 2026.” Updated August 25, 2026. Accessed August 25, 2026.
A city full of signs
There is always
more to notice.
From streetcar bells to second lines, the symbols that make New Orleans feel familiar have a way of finding their people.