What Can Disneyworld Teach New Orleans?
Monday June 29, 2009
Yup, I've just spent the last ten days at Disneyworld with my family, and while I was there, I noticed things that reminded me of home. New Orleans's #1 industry is tourism, and we need to accept it so that we can pander to our tourists without losing the legitimacy of our town. New Orleans should never become a facade, some outdoor mall where people "used to live." But there are still some things we could learn from a mouse.
The French Quarter needs more public bathrooms. They should be outfitted with automatic toilets and sinks and air dryers.
We natives need to stop complaining about the over-use of the fleur de lis as our town's symbol. Tourists like symbols.
St. Louis Cathedral would make an excellent Haunted Mansion. (No, no. I'm just kidding on this one.)
We need better signs for some of our more complicated roads and more "this way to the blah-blah" for our tourist destinations.
In short, we need to do more of the "little things" that make tourists happy. Conquering crime and corruption would be swell too, but they're going to take a while. A few signs and bathrooms can go up in the meantime.
Thoughts?
The French Quarter needs more public bathrooms. They should be outfitted with automatic toilets and sinks and air dryers.
We natives need to stop complaining about the over-use of the fleur de lis as our town's symbol. Tourists like symbols.
St. Louis Cathedral would make an excellent Haunted Mansion. (No, no. I'm just kidding on this one.)
We need better signs for some of our more complicated roads and more "this way to the blah-blah" for our tourist destinations.
In short, we need to do more of the "little things" that make tourists happy. Conquering crime and corruption would be swell too, but they're going to take a while. A few signs and bathrooms can go up in the meantime.
Thoughts?