Louisiana's Cajun Bayou Tourism Awards $60,000 in Tourism Investment Funds to Support Three New Tourism Projects in Lafourche Parish
Louisiana's Cajun Bayou Tourism Awards $60,000 in Tourism Investment Funds to Support Three New Tourism Projects in Lafourche Parish
Raceland, Louisiana (March 17, 2023) – Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism, the tourist commission for Lafourche Parish, announced on Friday the award of $60,000 in grant funds to support three new tourism projects in Lafourche Parish through their 2023 Tourism Investment Program (TIP).
Applications for this year’s TIP funding were accepted February 1 - March 1, 2023 with the goal of supporting the creation of new tourism projects and events aimed at driving increased visitation to the parish. The three projects were selected among a competitive field of applicants, and will help foster the development and growth of the visitor economy and enrichment of life in Lafourche Parish.
Beneficiaries of the 2023 Tourism Investment Program funding include:
Lafourche Arc, for the creation of a new event called the: “BBQ, Bourbon, and Blues Festival”
- The festival will be the first in Lafourche Parish to feature barbeque, bourbon and Blues and aims to make the event annual by attracting visitation and participation from outside of Lafourche Parish.
Nicholls State University Foundation, for the creation of a new men’s basketball multi-team event (MTE) called the “LA Cajun Bayou Tournament”
- The tournament is anticipated to draw teams, athletes, families, and visitors from outside of Louisiana and position itself as an annual sports tourism event.
Friends of E.D. White Historic Site, for the development of the E.D. White Historic Site bayou-side and creation of an immersive Cajun Day Experience Tour
- The bayou-side development will create an added recreational outlet to Bayou Lafourche, while the new engaging tour will highlight our authentic Cajun culture through partnerships with the Jean Lafitte Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center, Laurel Valley Village, and area restaurants. In addition, the tour will provide hands on activities for visitors to connect with our destination and work with area hotels to promote it.
“A common thread among the TIP submissions was the goal to make Lafourche Parish an incredible place to live and an essential one to visit. We feel that these projects embody Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou brand of authentic Cajun culture, and the spirit of our local people who make this area so unique,” said, Marguerite Knight-Erwin, Chair of the Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism Board of Directors.
“Our organization was thrilled to welcome back the return of our Tourism Investment Program and the ability to financially assist in the development of new tourism assets for Lafourche Parish” said Cody A. Gray, President & CEO of Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism. “Our goal for this year’s program was to help organizations create new opportunities to increase our ability to attract more visitation, while also improving the quality of life for our residents.”
TIP was first implemented in 2016 and has awarded $483,000 in grants since its inception. The funds distributed to this year’s recipients were gained by a portion of the room tax revenues generated from overnight guests to the parish. The Tourism Investment Program allows for the reinvestment of that money back into the destination.
For more information on how the parish positions itself as a year-round tourism destination and our strategic plan for the future, click on our strategic plan HERE.
