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Leader of the Pack: New Orleans

Here at Travel Massive, we love to recognize all the hard work that our co-organizers put into building community. So we want to recognize and feature them on the blog. Last time, we interviewed Bogota Travel Massive co-organizer Annie Burbano of turisTIC.co. Now we want to introduce you to Irene Pallais of the New Orleans Travel Massive community.

Irene Pallais

Irene works with Interstate Hotels and Resorts as the Internet Marketing Director for seven hotels in New Orleans. Interstate Hotels & Resorts is a U.S. based global hotel management company with nearly 350 hotels worldwide.

Tell us a little about the travel industry in New Orleans.

Tourism is the largest industry in New Orleans.  In 2012, New Orleans welcomed 9.01 million visitors, with a record breaking $6 billion dollars in spending.  The traveler economy is made up of all facets of the tourism industry. Leisure travelers, cultural enthusiasts, meeting attendees, festival goers and sports fans mean big business for New Orleans.

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The city has been host to major events such as Mardi Gras, Essence Music Festival, Jazz Fest, BCS National Championship Game, Super Bowls and both men and women’s Final Four, in addition to hundreds of prominent conventions.  In 2014, New Orleans will host the NBA All Star Game and WWE WrestleMania.

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What travel company do you admire the most and why?

I admire what Virgin Atlantic has done to break through the airline industry by staying true to its value proposition of service and innovation. Facing  a weak economy, high fuel prices and intense competition, the airline industry has received a negative image as major carriers are charging more and reducing staff, often at the expense of customer service.

By offering limousine services, full meal catering, multi-class services, and entertainment consoles on every seat-back, Virgin is catering to its customer while building loyalty.  Their mission statement speaks to their actions:

To grow a profitable airline…
Where people love to fly…
And where people love to work.

Bourbon Street Sign

What are some of your favorite travel websites?

My go to travel sites are Tripadvisor to research accommodations, Hipmunk and Kayak for flights and Tripit to organize it all.

What are the biggest trends you are seeing in New Orleans and in your industry?

New Orleans tourism is gaining momentum and has been seeing near record number of visitors in the past 10 years. The visitor reach is spreading beyond the French Quarter more than ever before, from the Garden District to the Bywater, Mid-City to Magazine Street. The airport is currently undergoing an expansion to allow more direct domestic and international flights to the city. In the past couple of years, New Orleans has transformed into a entrepreneurial hub and we’re already seeing a few travel start ups based in New Orleans.  We hope that continues to grow.

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What are the biggest challenges for your industry?

Keeping up with the speed of change with limited resources is the biggest challenge I’ve faced in what I do.  In addition, the government’s tightened spend on travel has impacted the industry as a whole in the U.S.

palm court (nola fun guide)

Who attended your first Travel Massive event?

We timed our first Travel Massive event to coincide with the Sabre Travel Network’s Travel Technology Exchange conference hosted here in New Orleans. We were very fortunate to have the support of the Sabre team to invite their conference attendees. We had people join us from Australia, London, Toronto and all over the U.S.

St. Louis Cathedral

Favorite travel tip in your city?

There’s more to New Orleans than the French Quarter and Bourbon Street!  There so many great neighborhoods to explore, each with its unique character. Come to the city prepared to eat and drink well!

 Your next trip is to…

Miami in a few weeks for Eye for Travel’s Online Marketing Strategies for Travel conference.

 

Leader of the pack is a monthly series that profiles organizers of Travel Massive meet-ups around the world!


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