The new green space connects Spanish Plaza to Crescent Park, transforming a former industrial waterfront into public recreational space.
Stretching along the riverfront beside the French Quarter and the aquarium, it is one of the best places in New Orleans to experience the Mississippi River and have views of passing paddlewheelers, barges and oceangoing ships.
The city welcomed 19.46 million visitors in 2025, registering a 2% year-on-year increase, and continues to see investment across hotels, venues and cultural attractions.
New Orleans is also gaining international recognition, with the city named a UNESCO Creative City for Music in recognition of its global cultural influence and commitment to arts-led development.
The Big Easy’s culinary scene also continues to gain prominence, with Emeril’s New Orleans, in the city’s Warehouse District, awarded two MICHELIN stars. Saint Germain, a French wine bar and bistro in Bywater, and Zasu, a restaurant in the neighbourhood of Mid-City with a culinary goal “to explore new ways to inspire traditional favourites with fresh ingredients”, each received one star in the latest guide.
Proving popular is Amtrak’s new Mardi Gras Service, which was introduced last autumn after a two-decade hiatus.
The train service connects New Orleans, Louisiana, to Mobile, Alabama. With two daily round trips, the service offers morning and evening departures and provides a scenic, comfortable alternative for travellers.
British Airways is set to increase connectivity to New Orleans with the launch of a new weekly service from London as part of its winter 2026 programme. The additional flight will operate from October 2026, upping the airline’s schedule to four services a week and offering greater flexibility for UK travellers heading to the city.
The flights will be operating in time to plan a visit to New Orleans during its popular Halloween season. City-wide events include the Krewe of Boo Parade – a spooky, Halloween-themed version of Mardi Gras with spectacular floats, costumed riders, marching bands and bead-throwing with Halloween imagery – Ghosts in the Oaks at City Park and a range of haunted tours across historic sites such as the Old Ursuline Convent.
New Orleans will also host IPW in 2027, underlining its growing profile as a leading U.S. destination for international travel trade and leisure visitors.
