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Lieutenant governor and CRT highlight tourism recovery, state‑park upgrades and volunteer litter efforts
Summary
The lieutenant governor and the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism (CRT) told the committee tourism is recovering toward pre‑COVID record levels and outlined investments in state parks, accessibility improvements and expanded volunteer litter‑abatement programs.
The lieutenant governor and CRT presented the tourism and cultural portfolio to the Senate Finance Committee, reporting that tourism is growing back toward pre‑COVID record levels and that state parks visitation is increasing. The lieutenant governor said Louisiana slipped from fourth to fifth in national tourism rankings during the pandemic but is “quickly going back” to pre‑COVID performance; he noted new federal grants and partnerships to open three international markets (India, Italy and Spain) to encourage higher‑value international visitors.
The lieutenant governor said the Office of State Parks has expanded accommodations and accessibility upgrades — including direct sewage hookups at campsites, two special needs playgrounds and tracked wheelchairs — and reported that private‑public partnerships and a traveling maintenance crew have reduced subcontracting costs and accelerated repairs. CRT officials said state parks have roughly 33 private businesses operating in 20 parks and have produced growing non‑general‑fund revenue from new gift shops and concessions.
Senators asked about roads and infrastructure inside parks and prioritized assistance for maintenance and road improvements; CRT and the lieutenant governor said they are pursuing capital requests and DOTD partnerships to stretch budgets and address roads that feed park access.
On litter and volunteerism, the lieutenant governor said a recent statewide push expanded “Love the Boot” activities to every parish; he said the program is partnering with wildlife enforcement and DEQ to enforce litter rules and that sheriffs’ offices received vans to mobilize work‑release crews for roadside cleanup. CRT staff said Keep Louisiana Beautiful and Volunteer Louisiana have engaged thousands of volunteers and that the administration is exploring citation options to reduce repeat littering.
Why it matters: Tourism and park investments generate economic activity in rural and urban areas and the administration tied park upgrades and volunteer litter programs to local economic development and visitor experience.
Ending: The committee asked for continuing updates on park capital requests, road repairs, and the interstate and rural litter cleanup strategies.
