New Orleans has positioned itself well as a spooky and fun Halloween destination. The city's hotels, restaurants, and nightlife enjoyed a good weekend.
Total tourism numbers are not quite where they were before the pandemic hit, but New Orleans & Company's Mark Romig says like zombies in a horror film, they are getting closer.
"I would say that we're just not quite there yet, but we're all working really hard to get back to where we were," said Romig.
Romig says the number of visitors in town over the weekend nearly matched 2019's numbers.
"We're creeping back up, occupancy's getting close to where we were," he said.
Romig said the city's reputation for spookiness has helped make Halloween weekend a busy one for the hospitality industry.
"It really is, it's really become a great destination city for this holiday," said Romig. "It's always a good time of the year."
Halloween is second to Mardi Gras for the city's busiest tourism weekend.
Meanwhile, hotel tax collections are back to pre-pandemic levels, because area hotels have been able to charge more for rooms.