Twice a year the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission hosts a luncheon for tourism industry partners with educational and networking opportunities.
About 45 industry partners met at Bayou Teche Brewing to talk tourism on Nov. 14. The event was catered by The Little Big Cup, and was held in the brewery’s new addition, The Turnip, an indoor venue for small weddings, business meetings, and other special events.
The Turnip was the perfect space for the guests which included artists, hoteliers, shop and restaurant owners, community volunteers, musicians, Eunice Mayor Scott Fontenot, Rep. Julie Emerson, and Gaye Hamilton with the state Division of the Arts.
Though Bayou Teche Brewing is located in St. Martin Parish, the brewery is a major cultural attraction for the region, generating a huge economic return for the rest of Arnaudville, including St. Landry Parish, and its surrounding communities.
The concept of “packaging” a visitor experience between neighboring communities was also encouraged by the guest speaker, David Dahlquist, during his program on the Five Stages of Travel. Dahlquist is a former Iowa resident who moved to Louisiana two years ago after working with the Louisiana Office of Tourism on the Louisiana Scenic Byways Program. Dahlquist has over 40 years of experience in trail and byway planning, and continues to run his consulting firm, David L. Dahlquist Associates, LLC in New Iberia.
After the educational program several announcements were made by the Commission’s executive director, Celeste Gomez. Gomez shared plans to develop a strategic plan for the tourism commission, and reminded guests that the commission offers grant opportunities for tourism events and projects. More information can be found at CajunTravel.com.
Gomez also shared that so far, in 2017, the Commission has spent $125,000 on advertising. The full value of the amount spent is an estimated $273,969.
The event closed with a tour from Brew Master, Karlos Knott, and samples in the tap room. There guests learned about new ales, networked, and stocked up on stocking stuffers and Christmas gifts.
The St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission is the official destination marketing organization tasked with the purpose of promoting tourism in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana.
