Yahoo! Travel, National Geographic Traveler Poll Names New Orleans Top U.S. Family Travel Spot

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NEW ORLEANS, March 23 /PRNewswire/ -- An online poll conducted by Yahoo! Travel and National Geographic Traveler magazine named New Orleans as the top family vacation destination in the United States, and the prestigious distinction is a positive reflection of the city's tourism advertising and marketing campaigns, says Sandra S. Shilstone, President and CEO of the New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation, which conducts these efforts.

"When NOTMC launched its first family marketing campaign in the summer of 2001, family travelers were barely a blip on the radar screen," Shilstone says. "Today, as a result of our continued, strategic marketing efforts to attract these visitors, families comprise nearly 15.5 percent of our total visitation, growing 225 percent in the last year alone."

By partnering with world-class attractions such as the Audubon Nature Institute and Six Flags New Orleans, Shilstone says travelers' impressions and attitudes nationally are changing for the better about the Crescent City.

"New Orleans will always be identified for its legendary adult vacation offerings -- and justifiably so -- but our efforts to expand the market base for family travelers is working," Shilstone says. "People now recognize that New Orleans has a lot of unparalleled offerings for people of all ages, and our family visitation figures and the Yahoo! Travel poll give our efforts credence."

The poll also lists the top five components travelers are looking for in a family vacation, which are cost, safety, sightseeing opportunities, reliably good weather, and opportunities for recreation. The entire poll can be seen by visiting http://travel.yahoo.com/family .

The New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation promotes the city as a leisure tourism destination throughout the year and places special emphasis on developing visitation during the traditionally slow travel periods of summer and the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. Annually, NOTMC's marketing campaigns include strategic print, broadcast, and Internet advertising and public relations. For more information, please contact NOTMC directly at toll free 1-800-810-3200, or visit online at http://www.neworleansonline.com/ .

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