Louisiana's Lieutenant Governor says mixed messages are going to hurt New Orleans' tourism industry.
Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser says there were people planning trips to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, but after hearing New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell ordering bars closed and access restricted to the French Quarter and other areas, are having second thoughts.
"They made their plans and now they're canceling them because they believe the city is shut down," Nungesser said of texts and emails he received after the city's announcement. "Whether that's the way it was said or not, that's the way a lot of visitors have interpreted that message."
Nungesser said it's the kind of message that can be hard to overcome.
"That's going to sting us for a long time to come," Nungesser said, "as people who might have made plans and now have to cancel, do they come back?"
Nungesser says competitors in the region, like Mississippi, are already launching marketing campaigns to lure tourists and their spending away from New Orleans.