Ask Blake

Just who lures all these tourists to New Orleans anyway? The New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau, for one.

Courtesy of French Quarter Festivals Inc

Hey Blake,

Just what is the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau Inc.? Is it a public or private company? Is it for profit or nonprofit? Is it run by the city or by a board? What's the story?

Roy Knight

Dear Roy,

The NOMCVB is a private, nonprofit organization with a board of directors. It has no connection with the City of New Orleans or the State of Louisiana. The organization has more than 1,200 members -- big and small businesses that include restaurants, hotels, and just about every other form of economic enterprise in the city. It was formed in 1960 with a mission of promoting and selling our great city to visitors and conventioneers. Formerly the Greater New Orleans Tourist and Convention Commission, the organization started small, with only 100 members. But knowing how wonderful our city is, the members worked hard to convince folks to bring their families and their money here to "laisser les bon temps rouler."

Largely due to the NOMCVB, New Orleans has grown to become a leading tourist destination, and conventioneers flock here by the thousands. The Superdome that opened in 1975, the World's Fair of 1984, and the New Orleans Convention Center helped a great deal to make our city an attractive place to plan a convention or a visit. And now tourism has become our No. 1 industry.

We have close to 8 million visitors who spend $4.5 billion on food, drinks, hotels, entertainment and shopping. This creates about $200 million in tax revenue for the state of Louisiana and $258 million for the City of New Orleans. And the NOMCVB books more than 2,000 conventions a year, with more than a million delegates. Because of its success, the organization is expanding to include offices in Chicago and Washington, D.C., and representatives in London, Frankfurt, Paris and Mexico City.

But the organization can be useful for locals as well if you want to play tourist in your own hometown. They're on the Web at www.neworleanscvb.com.

Hey Blake,

I now live in California just south of San Francisco. On a visit recent visit home, I was showing my wife and mother-in-law some of the sights in New Orleans, and we drove through City Park. What a surprise to see a California cable car on the grounds in front of Popp's Fountain. What's that all about?

Paul

Dear Paul,

What you saw is Car No. 59 that was built in 1906 by J. Hammond & Co., a San Francisco company, builder of horse cars, cable cars, electric streetcars and railroad cars from 1883 to 1910. Hammond built the first "California"-style car, one with two-open end sections and an enclosed center section. The first 50 of these cable cars produced by his company were destroyed in the fire that followed the 1906 earthquake.

San Francisco cable car No. 59 was originally Car No. 15, but it was renumbered to No. 59 in October 1957. When a new No. 59 was built and put into service in 1998, the old car was sent to New Orleans where all can admire it. In fact, many of the old cable cars are on display all over the country, and there is also one in Japan.

Actually, we got the cable car in a trade. We gave San Francisco one of our streetcars in exchange -- Car No. 952 -- and it's operating on the Embarcadero shuttle between Fisherman's Wharf and the switchback at Mission Street. Some people believe that San Francisco got the better deal since at least they got something useful, while our half of the trade just sits there.

I hope you explained to your family that while San Francisco has had cable cars since 1869, New Orleans was ahead by more than 30 years. The St. Charles streetcar line is the oldest currently running streetcar line in the world and has been in service since 1835.

When you go into the City by the Bay, take a ride on the new Car No. 59 and Car No. 952, and you can remember your last trip home in a special way.

Question for Blake? Email blresponse@gambitweekly.com or mail to 3923 Bienville St., 70119.

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