SUSTAINABLE TOURISM NETWORK

The ability to be sustained, supported, upheld and confirmed lives at the very center of human existence. Culture remains the foundation of what makes New Orleans a magical, mythical place and world-renowned destination. We must ensure that the artists, culture bearers and culture keepers are authentically recognized, celebrated, and share in the both the benefits and advantages of the culture they create.

In a city where the average median income is $36,000, our indigenous artists and culture bearers earn $17,500, despite fueling a tourism industry that cleared $10 billion in 2019. This great disparity in income, and the corresponding disparity in outcomes, has come to even starker realization during the crisis of the current pandemic. As they are being turned away from the mainstream resources to support workers, we are receiving requests for support from artists and culture bearers. As the calls and emails have multiplied, it has become clear to us that we must rethink our strategies and redeploy our resources to meet the needs of the moment in a way that we are most qualified to help fill. Our long-term, intimate relationships with the city’s creative workers allow us to fill a critical gap in the infrastructure of the city’s workforce system—a gap that makes it possible for our most vulnerable workers to find themselves without a pathway to support equivalent to their contribution to the city’s economy.  This movement is our organizing and policy change vehicle for bringing equity to New Orleans’ hospitality and tourism industry.

More information coming soon…