Kim Priez, VP Tourism for New Orleans & Company, tells Steve Hartridge why the Louisiana city chose to cross the Atlantic to wow crowds in Brighton at this summer’s Pride
Q: We are chatting in Brighton on the eve of the city’s Pride weekend (August 4/5), one of the biggest of its kind in the UK. This is the second year New Orleans has taken a parade float at the event. Why is Brighton a perfect partner to showcase your ‘Y’all Means All’ slogan and all that New Orleans has to offer?
A: We had the opportunity to experience Brighton Pride last year and we found it to be an ideal partner for New Orleans. We stage wonderful festivals around the LGBTQ community and Brighton does Pride so well. Also, the people and lifestyle here are both so like those in New Orleans. In both cities the people are very welcoming and inclusive to all communities. I believe that we should enjoy life, and I get that same feeling about the people of Brighton. The city has a wonderful climate, as we do in New Orleans, and embraces parading in the middle off the city, as we also do in New Orleans. It really is just the perfect partnership, and we hope to come back again and again.
Q: When do you host your own Pride?
A: Our main Pride is in June, but we have at least seven or eight Pride events annually. We also hold an event called Southern Decadence, in September, which perhaps says it all!
Q: Is there anything different that Brighton Prides put on, or anything different that you do in New Orleans?
A: Oh, my goodness; there are so many things! We love the fact that we were able to create a Mardi Gras float and have it in the parade here, so that bit is very similar. But in New Orleans we can throw all kinds of toys and other trinkets into the crowd, and the kids love it, but Brighton doesn’t allow that – probably because it is quite a chore to clean it all up. We really love a costume and have probably more costume shops in New Orleans than any other U.S. city. The costuming and joyfulness are quite similar in both cities but what is different here is how wonderful it is to see families come out to enjoy the festivities and have a great time. Brighton’s Pride has more family participation and that creates such a wonderful environment.
Q: New Orleans has an extensive calendar of festivals and events, of which Pride is just one. What are some other annual highlights?
A: There is a reason why we all have closets full of costumes! We have more than 200 festivals that happen each year, with Mardi Gras in March one of the largest. We have music festivals, Pride (in June), and we have Halloween, one of the largest events for both the LGBTQ community and of course everyone else in the community. We just love to dress up! We even have a store in the French Quarter that sells nothing but colourful wigs and it is regularly packed.
Q: Southern food, cuisine with a unique New Orleans twist, is one of the reasons many enjoy the city. Do you have a festival that showcases this?
A: Of course we do! We have so many food festivals. Usually, food plays a role in every festival we do, but we have some specific foodie events. We host a food and wine festival, which is fantastic; we have a festival built around our famous Café Au Lait and Beignets culture, while Culinary New Orleans is happening right now (August) for the next six weeks. Around 130 restaurants are this year participating. Visitors can enjoy amazing three-course meals for around a half of the price they normally would pay. It is a great time to sample numerous restaurants at affordable prices, and we are talking about everything from sandwich shops to high-end eateries. you can make a reservation before you arrive in the city or just see what you fancy when you arrive.
Q: Another similarity between Brighton and New Orleans is that both cities support their professional sports teams. How big a cultural role does sport play in the lives of those in New Orleans?
A: We really do love our sports even though we are not always so good at them! We have had a pro NFL (American football) team for many years, and our basketball team is amazing. Our rugby team just won a U.S. final, which was amazing. New Orleans has great sporting infrastructure, with our Superdome, which is why we have hosted 11 Superbowls and why we will be hosting another one in 2025 (in February).
Q: What are the chances of the New Orleans Saints being in that Superbowl?
A: I would say zero! We love our Saints, we really do, but since Drew Brees (a famous quarterback who spent most of his career in New Orleans) retired, I don’t think we have a shot.
Q: What else is happening in New Orleans that our readers, travel agents, should know about?
A: I hope they already know that it is easy to get to us with the now not-so-new British Airways direct flight, but you can also use other major airlines by making a quick connection in other U.S. gateways.
I would suggest looking at the calendar of events I have mentioned. These provide some great reasons for visiting and they really won’t disappoint, no matter what time of the year you visit. There will always be something going on; that is just the culture of our city and not something we put non just for visitors.
Also, New Orleans is affordable, with hotel rates and restaurant prices less expensive than many other cities in America. And locals just love to share their city – you will find a very warm and welcoming city no matter what time you arrive.
Q: New Orleans is maybe a city that many people might think they know well, but share a few secrets with us, some hidden gems.
Great question! There are so many layers to our city. For example, we are an amazing literary city, with a rich heritage. Think Truman Capote, Mark Twain, and others.
We also have a very active and always evolving cocktail culture and we take our cocktails extremely seriously! Our food is also so different from the rest of the country, not just our traditional food but the new fusion cuisines that are coming in. We are now absolutely one of the best foodie cities in the country.
The architecture is fabulous too and is as heavily influenced by the Spanish as it is by the French, and a lot of people don’t realise that. It is a very walkable city; you need at least five days to really get a good impression and see as much as you can. It is one of the few cities in the U.S. that does not immediately look or feel like an American city.
So put us on the list of cities to visit. You will not be disappointed.
Q: Over the years you personally, and New Orleans Tourism, have been very strong supporters of the trade, engaging regularly with travel agents and tour operators. Are you as committed to them as you always were?
A: I really am, and it is just as relevant and important for us to support the trade as it always has been. When you recall what happened during the pandemic, that is all the cancellations and rearranging itineraries and chasing refunds, etc, anyone who might think the trade had become irrelevant would have had their minds changed by that.
We have seen repeatedly how people trust booking their holiday with someone who knows a destination and has visited it.
When you are going to spend the sort of money involved to go overseas you need to make sure you have an expert on hand who can help you – both for the best value and to make sure you really get the most out of your stay.
We feel the UK trade are very knowledgeable about New Orleans, are loyal and do a very nice job of selling us!
explorelouisiana.com; NewOrleans.com
