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After checking into their hotel Friday, John and Tammy Dillon hit the streets with a list of New Orleans attractions they want to visit during their three-day stay: Pat O’Brien’s, House of Blues, Café du Monde, the French Market and the National WWII Museum.
They plan to hang out mostly in the French Quarter, except during the Allstate Sugar Bowl, when they’ll be rooting for Kansas State over Alabama in the Caesars Superdome.
“The last time we were here was during COVID, so we didn’t get to see or do very much,” said Tammy Dillon, who explained the couple is native to the Midwest, hence the K-State allegiance, but recently moved to Florida. “Everything was shut down.”
The K-State float travels past Jackson Square during the Allstate Sugar Bowl New Year’s Parade through the French Quarter in New Orleans, Friday, Dec. 30, 2022.
Not anymore. Tens of thousands of visitors have descended on New Orleans for the long holiday weekend. Hotels are full (although not to capacity), restaurants are slammed and local businesses are seeing an increase in activity both from football fans and New Year’s Eve revelers.
Though tourism officials could not say exactly how many people are expected, about 55,000 tickets to the game had been sold by Friday afternoon — more than 80% of capacity.
Hotel occupancy was averaging 84% for the weekend, and event organizers for Saturday’s midnight ball drop and fireworks show in the French Quarter were preparing for crowds of up to 100,000.
“From a hospitality industry standpoint, we’re excited about what the Sugar Bowl has always done to help us end the year and start the new year strong,” said Mark Romig, vice president of marketing at New Orleans & Co. and a past president of the Sugar Bowl.
Cancelled flight factor
Like the Dillons, most of the visitors in the French Quarter and Central Business District on Friday appeared to be Kansas State fans. Wildcat gear outnumbered Crimson Tide apparel by a ratio that was too great to estimate. The game is a big deal to No. 9 Kansas State, and the fans turned out to support their team, though not to the extent they would have had Southwest Airlines not cancelled thousands of flights this week.
Roy and Karen Spencer drove 13 hours from their Kansas City suburb to New Orleans after their Southwest flight was cancelled. They know some who did the same, and others who called off trips altogether in the wake of the airline debacle.
“New Orleans probably lost a day of tourism activity because of Southwest,” Roy Spencer said. “We know people who just gave up after they couldn’t fly.”
Parade-goers reach for beads during the Allstate Sugar Bowl New Year’s Parade through the French Quarter in New Orleans, Friday, Dec. 30, 2022.
Other factors, including moving the Sugar Bowl from New Year’s Day to New Year’s Eve and the fact that the matchup is not between Bowl Championship Series champions, also might have softened demand.
Overall, however, hoteliers were pleased with the level of activity.
“We’re completely full tomorrow night, and marketwide it will be a very strong New Year’s Eve,” said David Piscola, general manager of the Hilton Riverside New Orleans and president of the Greater New Orleans Hotel and Lodging Association. “People like to come here to celebrate.”
Smaller hotels are also benefitting from the crowds. Jayson Seidman, whose boutique hotels include The Columns, The Drifter and the Hotel St. Vincent, said he’s 100% occupied at The Columns and almost full at the other two.
“It’s not all Sugar Bowl traffic, though,” he said. “Some people are just here because it’s a good place to ring in the New Year.”
Pre-pandemic demand
Whatever the reason for the visits, local businesses are reaping the benefit. Though nasty weather kept customers away from Buzz NOLA Bike Tours on Friday, the bicycle rental company is booked solid for Saturday — in spite of the bowl game — associate Erin Rondy said.
Restaurants also have been packed. At Peche in the Warehouse District, manager Tim Pacillas said crowds are back to their pre-pandemic levels, though their dining patterns are slightly different.
“Before, we were always busy for dinner,” he said. “Now we see it spread out a little more throughout the day, which is good. People aren’t shying away from booking 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. tables, either.”
Big Al, University of Alabama’s mascot, and Kansas State University’s mascot Willie the Wildcat hug before the Allstate Sugar Bowl New Year’s Parade through the French Quarter in New Orleans, Friday, Dec. 30, 2022.
The French Quarter and CBD weren’t the only areas of the city to see an uptick in activity. The Spencers chose to stay at the Ramada Inn in Kenner, because it was about one third the cost of other hotels.
Alabama fan Brenda Haywood was heading to Deanie’s Seafood in Bucktown for a late lunch.
“Living in Alabama, I come to New Orleans a lot, so I go to the locals’ places,” she said.
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