2025’s Mardi Gras has been a busy one. Visitors and celebrities have been in town for the festivities, and hotel occupancy rates are up over previous years. Kelly Schulz of New Orleans and Company said those numbers are a good indicator of the amount of visitors coming into the city for Mardi Gras.
Schulz also emphasizes the leap that took place this year and the upward trend it follows. “The hotels are doing really well right now. We are seeing huge crowds and lots of enthusiasm for the city this year,” she goes on to say.
While the visitors and hotel occupants have risen, we’re still not back to pre-pandemic levels, according to Schulz. “Compared to 2024, numbers have risen. However, we’re not quite back to pre-pandemic levels when it comes to visitation overall, but we’re creeping closer every year,” she emphasizes.
Schulz also adds that the city is riding a wave of momentum and fully expects that to carry over into next year’s Mardi Gras. “I don’t know any other city that can say within a span of six months, they hosted three Taylor Swift concerts, a Super Bowl, Mardi Gras, and major conventions,” she notes.
Schulz also says New Orleans is a city uniquely prepared and built for such a busy stretch and believes the future will hold even brighter numbers when it comes to visitors enjoying the city for Mardi Gras and other events.
Related
