Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser drew a pair of queens -- Shrimp & Petroleum Festival Queen Charlie Ann Fuhrer and Miss Spirit of Morgan City Kennedy Hill -- during this moment at Tuesday's National Tourism Week celebration at the Cajun Coast Tourism Center in Morgan City. Nungesser told local officials and people in the local tourism industry that Louisiana's reputation for hospitality has increased visitor totals back to 45 million each year. Cajun Coast's Carrie Stansbury praised the industry's positive impact on the local economy.
The Review/Bill Decker
Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser's National Tourism Awareness Week visit to Morgan City on Tuesday put a spotlight on one Louisiana brand, Cajun Nation spices. Shown from left are Charles George, in the Cajun Nation can costume, Nungesser, and Alfonzo Bolden and Troy Bolden of Cajun Nation.
UPDATED WITH STORY: Lt. governor thanks workers in parish's tourism industry
By BILL DECKER
bdecker@daily-review.com
We live in a time of dark and divisive politics. But when Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser shows up, it’s usually a party.
Nungesser came to Cajun Coast’s Tourism Center on Tuesday, playing his role as the state’s chief tourism officer and celebrating National Tourism Awareness Week.
The speeches were accompanied by jambalaya, appearances by Shrimp & Petroleum Festival Queen Charlie Ann Fuhrer and Miss Spirit of Morgan City Kennedy Hill, and a plug for a local brand, Cajun Nation spices.
Cajun Coast Director Carrie Stansbury said St. Mary tourism generates enough revenue to spare each parish taxpayer $100 in taxes. And tourism supports 500 local jobs, she said.
Nungesser said National Tourism Awareness Week is the chance to say thank you to those workers, who are as responsible as seafood and Mardi Gras for attracting visitors.
“When I travel the world and ask travel agents why they send people to Louisiana, every one of them has a story about how we treat people,” Nungesser said.
“They leave with a warm and fuzzy feeling about Louisiana.”
Recent Mardi Gras celebrations have attracted people from Australia to Morgan City and Houma, and Japanese people to Shreveport.
“It makes you feel good to see so many partners,” Nungesser said.
The lieutenant governor also praised Louisiana Public Broadcasting’s “LA 64” project.
“They’re going to be telling the story of all the unique things in each parish … and it’ll be pushed out there for all the world to see.”
Cajun Nation got some public attention as one of the state’s gastronomically targeted brands.
CEO Alfonzo Bolden noted that while the company is now based in Lafayette, he and brother Troy Bolden, the chief operating officer, are from Glencoe. Their marketing chief, Charles George, wore a costume modeled after a Cajun Nation spice can.
Alfonzo Bolden said a relative required a low-sodium diet. So they developed spices that met that requirement.
“Five years later, we’re in all the Walgreens in Louisiana,” he said.
Tuesday marked Nungesser’s second visit to this area in two months. In March, he attended the opening of Cajun Man’s Swamp Tours in Bayou L’Ourse, where he promoted Louisiana’s role as a sportsman’s paradise.