United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
Tourism costs of Katrina to hit £2.7 billion
Hurricane Katrina could cost the Gulf Coast up to £2.7 billion in tourism by the end of the year, according to the Travel Industry Association (TIA).
The TIA says most of the losses are in New Orleans and other parts of Louisiana.
The figures emerged as the region was bracing itself for yet another hurricane. Emergency teams have again begun evacuating residents of New Orleans with 500 buses on standby to ferry people to safety.
Hurricane Rita has already battered parts of Florida and Cuba.
Officials say the devastation from Katrina in all three affected states – Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi – is costing the industry £27.5 million a day.
The job and revenue losses make Katrina one of the costliest disasters to hit the travel industry since September 11, with 260,000 travel related jobs likely to be lost either temporarily or long-term. Damage to the aviation industry however is not expected to be as severe.
The TIA and Travel Business Roundtable are among groups creating online job banks to be clearinghouses for travel-related employment across the US.
Report by David Wilkening and Steve Jones
David
Mark Jaronski of Explore Georgia on FIFA World Cup 2026
Connecting Small Businesses to Global Tourism Markets: Nate Huff of Tourism Exchange
North Carolina’s Resilience: Wit Tuttell on Recovery and Tourism
Kittipong Prapattong’s Plan for Thailand’s Tourism Growth: Taxes, Visas, and Campaigns
James Jin: Didatravel’s Journey from China to Global Reach and the Impact of AI on Travel
Darien Schaefer on Pensacola’s Evolution: From Small Town to Global Destination
Florida Tourism’s Next Frontier: Dana Young on Expanding Beyond the Classics
Patrick Harrison on Tampa Bay Tourism’s Resilience and Marketing Strategy
Bubba O’Keefe on Clarksdale’s Vibrant Music Scene
Commemorating Elvis and Embracing Tupelo’s Culture with Jennie Bradford Curlee
Craig Ray and the Expansion of the Blues Trail
Presenting Mississippi’s Cultural Trails with Katie Coats
Dozens fall ill in P&O Cruises ship outbreak
Turkish Airlines flight in emergency landing after pilot dies
BA suspending all Heathrow to Abu Dhabi flights
Unexpected wave rocks cruise ship
Woman dies after going overboard in English Channel