Latest news with #WaltLeger
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
WWE cancels WrestleMania 42 in New Orleans after announcing it as host city in February
After announcing New Orleans as the host city for WrestleMania 42 earlier this year, WWE has removed the event from the Big Easy. According to a statement from the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, the promotion is rescheduling a WrestleMania in New Orleans for a later, unspecified year. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson announced New Orleans' Caesar's Superdome as the venue for 2026 in February during a segment on WWE Friday Night SmackDown at Smoothie King Center. Advertisement New Orleans & Company head Walt Leger also noted that WWE hopes to bring other pay-per-view events to the city. Instead of WrestleMania, they will bring the Money in the Bank — which usually takes place in June or July — to New Orleans. "We've worked with them for the last several days to try to identify some future dates and future events to bring to the city," Leger said. In a joint statement with New Orleans & Company, the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation said they are in talks with TKO "to expand our long-standing partnership through a multi-event, multi-year agreement which will include UFC 318 on July 19, 2025 [and] Money In The Bank in 2026." Advertisement A new venue for WrestleMania 42 has yet to be announced, as fans on social media are calling for WWE to move it to Wembley Stadium in London. WWE's premier event took place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas this year and garnered 117,380 fans in attendance across both nights. New Orleans hosted WrestleMania 34 in 2018 and had 78,240 fans. According to the Enigma Research Corporation, the pay-per-view had a $175 million impact on The Crescent City with three-quarters of the fans in attendance coming from outside New Orleans.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
WWE takes WrestleMania 42 from New Orleans after announcing as host city in February
After announcing New Orleans as the host city for WrestleMania 42 earlier this year, WWE has removed the event from the Big Easy. According to a statement from the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, the promotion is rescheduling a WrestleMania in New Orleans for a later, unspecified year. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson announced New Orleans' Caesar's Superdome as the venue for 2026 in February during a segment on WWR Friday Night Smackdown at Smoothie King Center. Advertisement New Orleans & Company head Walt Leger also noted that WWE hopes to bring other pay-per-view events to the city. Instead of WrestleMania, they will bring the Money in the Bank — which usually takes place in June or July — to New Orleans. "We've worked with them for the last several days to try to identify some future dates and future events to bring to the city," Leger said. In a joint statement with New Orleans & Company, the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation said they are in talks with TKO "to expand our long-standing partnership through a multi-event, multi-year agreement which will include UFC 318 on July 19, 2025 [and] Money In The Bank in 2026." Advertisement A new venue for WrestleMania 42 is yet to be announced as fans on social media are calling for WWE to move it to Wembley Stadium in London. WWE's premier event was set at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas this year and garnered 117,380 fans in attendance across both nights. New Orleans hosted WrestleMania 34 in 2018 and had 78,240 fans for a gate of $14.1 million. According to the Enigma Research Corporation, the pay-per-view had a $175 million impact on The Crescent City with three-quarters of the fans in attendance coming from outside New Orleans.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Advice for Acadiana businesses amid anticipated thriving travel
LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY)– Louisiana tourism is expected to grow from nationwide events like America's 250th anniversary and the 2026 FIFA World Cup. According to the LA Office of Tourism, travel spending generates plenty of tax revenue, saving each household in Louisiana $1,098 a year in taxes that would be needed to maintain current services. Walt Leger, New Orleans and Company CEO, echoes the importance of those visitor dollars, saying without them, 'More of that burden would fall on residents.' Besides tax dollars, residents are given other opportunities from this thriving tourism industry. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Leger said his biggest advice to Acadiana is to be creative with big events. The creativity from New Orleans businesses as Taylor Swift's Era's Tour made its way to the Superdome allowed more than just hospitality hubs, like hotels, to benefit from the uptick in tourists. Instead of just hosting, they played into her image and songs to promote their services and products. After seeing the success from this creativity, the NOLA travel expert said Acadiana businesses can do the same with big events happening outside of Acadiana. 'FIFA World Cup in 2026…you know, those soccer matches aren't going to be played here in Louisiana, but they are going to be in Houston and Dallas and Atlanta and in Miami, among other cities in the country,' Leger said. 'That creates an opportunity for us to be able to attract either drive distance from Houston or our flight into New Orleans.' Leger continued, 'Create a connection point between that event and your business. So, if we're talking about soccer fans, then what can you do to elevate that as a part of the Lafayette community and celebrate it?' A Warm & Dry Weekend, A Cold Front Possible Next Week… Opelousas officials stress need to renew crucial sales tax Advice for Acadiana businesses amid anticipated thriving travel Bridge on Maple Drive to close for repairs beginning May 19 UL Lafayette conferring 1,569 degrees during Spring 2025 Commencement ceremonies Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How global events will affect Louisiana's tourism industry
SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS)—Louisiana is entering a new era of tourism that will reach every bayou and small town in the state. With global events like the FIFA World Cup and the 2026 Olympics on the horizon, leaders are now seizing the moment to showcase everything our great state has to offer. Walt Leger, President and CEO of New Orleans & Company, stopped by our morning shows to discuss how tourism is evolving and how major events are contributing. $95M settlement over Siri eavesdropping claims approved: How to make a claim Leger says events like Super Bowl LIX attract thousands of people to Louisiana. 'We are competing with states and cities all over the country that have massive populations. What we know is that when people travel, they want to have variety of experiences and so we certainly want to utilize the brand that is New Orleans, to be able to attract people but we also want them to get out and experience more things,' says Leger. Although the FIFA World Cup does not have any matches in Louisiana, matches in surrounding areas like Houston and Dallas mean spectators will be traveling through our state, and this is an opportunity for Louisiana to showcase its food, culture, and hospitality. Leger says driving tourism to Louisiana means adding dollars to our local economy. 'There's about 50,000 visitors to Louisiana, a little more than that, every year. I tell people it's everyone's favorite tax dollar. Somebody else's, from somewhere else, that they leave behind here for the benefit of our community. When we work to attract people to our city and to our state, it reduces the tax burden on all of us and pays for infrastructure, education, so many of the things we need in our community,' he explains. New Orleans & Company says that by working closely with regional and national tourism groups, it is making sure that Louisiana remains top of mind for travelers worldwide, showcasing not just the Crescent City but the cultural, historic, and natural gems found throughout the state. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Axios
15-04-2025
- Business
- Axios
Louisiana's tourism leaders concerned about anxious Canadian travelers
Canadians' desire to visit the U.S. is absolutely tanking, new data suggests, and that's bad news for Louisiana. Why it matters: President Trump's tariffs and insistence that Canada should become the 51st American state are fueling a remarkable rally-round-the-flag effect up north. Canadian patriotism is skyrocketing alongside disdain for all things American throughout the Great White North. The big picture: Canada is New Orleans' top market of origin for international visitors by a large margin, according to New Orleans & Co., the city's tourism arm. Walt Leger, the group's president and CEO, tells Axios he's hearing from visitors and travel partners about their "distaste" for the political climate. The city has had some cancellations, but he says those have been isolated so far. It's a "concern," he says, but it's not a trend showing up in the data yet. What he's saying: "We also recognize that sometimes it's hard to know if your phone is not ringing, and I think it's fair to say that based on the sentiment we're hearing, we think that there's probably some slowdown in lead volume and other things," Leger says. Between the lines: New Orleans & Co. hosted a group of Canadian journalists last week in an effort to showcase what the city has to offer. The trip was planned before the tariffs were announced, leaders say. Zoom out: Canada is also Louisiana's top international market, according to the state's tourism office. "I'm hoping these trade wars can be put to bed quickly because it will affect our numbers from Canada," Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser said at a conference last month, according to The Acadiana Advocate. Case in point: Four busloads of Canadian tourists canceled their plans to attend this fall's Grand Réveil Acadien in Lafayette, writes The Acadiana Advocate's Claire Taylor. The Canadians cited political uncertainty as one of the reasons. Threat level: A mere 10% drop in Canadian visitors could cost U.S. businesses as much as $2.1 billion in revenue, according to the U.S. Travel Association. State of play: Advance bookings for Canada-U.S. flights in April-September are down more than 70% compared with this time last year, per aviation data firm OAG. "This sharp drop suggests that travelers are holding off on making reservations, likely due to ongoing uncertainty surrounding the broader trade dispute," writes OAG chief analyst John Grant. Airlines are also reducing transborder capacity — a strong signal that they, too, are seeing (or at least predicting) less demand. Yes, but: At least one airline is calling OAG's data into question. The numbers are "not reflective of Air Canada's booking patterns, nor the state of the market, based on all information sources available to us," an Air Canada spokesperson told travel news site The Points Guy. Yet the spokesperson confirmed there's been a "softening" in demand, and the airline has trimmed capacity accordingly. What we're watching: Reluctance to visit the U.S. this summer may not be a strictly Canadian phenomenon. Go deeper
