FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contacts:
Mary Beth Romig and Jennifer Lotz
New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau
504-566-5019 mbromig@neworleanscvb.com / jlotz@neworleanscvb.com

Jennifer Tolchin
Weber Shandwick
212-445-8336
jtolchin@webershandwick.com

NEW ORLEANS RANKS AS A BEST DESTINATION AMONG INAUGURAL TRIPADVISOR® TRAVELERS’ CHOICE DESTINATIONS AWARDS

NEW ORLEANS – June 2, 2008 – The cuisine in New Orleans isn’t the only thing spicing up the city these days. America’s most authentic city continues to experience a huge resurgence in tourism for 2008, including this year's BCS tournament and Sugar Bowl, Mardi Gras, NBA all-star game, French Quarter Fest and Jazz Fest, just to name a few. Adding to the growing roster of achievements is The Crescent City’s recent recognition as a “Top 100 World” and “Top 25 United States” destination in the TripAdvisor® 2008 Travelers’ Choice® Destinations Awards.

In its inaugural year, the TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Destinations Awards honor the world’s top destinations, earning their distinction from those who know them best–millions of real travelers. Winning cities were determined by a combination of travelers’ favorite places and overall popularity on TripAdvisor. New Orleans ranks #41 among the “Top 100 World Destinations” and ranks sixth among the “Top 25 Destinations in the United States.”

“New Orleans is a place where culture bubbles up from the street. When you wake up and look around, you realize you are in a place that is truly different, a place where your molecules get rearranged,” said J. Stephen Perry, president and CEO of the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau. “It’s endorsements like the TripAdvisor award coupled with increasing visitation trends that truly prove our message is catching on.”

Whether it’s for their unique beauty, or abundance of attractions, the 2008 Travelers’ Choice Destinations Awards honor the most beloved destinations from around the world,” said Michele Perry, vice president of global communications for TripAdvisor. “Determined by millions of travelers, the Travelers’ Choice Destinations Awards are unique because they single out not just popular places but truly exceptional places that enthrall travelers and keep them coming back.”

For more information on New Orleans, visit www.neworleanscvb.com. For the complete 2008 Travelers’ Choice list, go to www.tripadvisor.com/TCDestinations.

The New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau (New Orleans CVB)
Consistently recognized as one of the top five convention and visitor bureaus in the United States, The New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau is the driving force behind New Orleans' most important industry, tourism. Today the cultural riches, sensual indulgences and unparalleled service that define the New Orleans experience continue to flourish, as they have for centuries. The most celebrated and historic core of the city - including the French Quarter, Central Business District, Warehouse and Arts District, Magazine Street, the Faubourg Marigny and Garden District - are thriving. In 2007, New Orleans welcomed 7.1 million visitors, nearly double the amount of visitors in 2006. For more information, visit www.neworleanscvb.com.

About TripAdvisor Media Network
TripAdvisor® Media Network, operated by TripAdvisor, LLC, attracts nearly 30 million monthly visitors* across ten popular travel brands, TripAdvisor®, airfarewatchdog.com™, bookingbuddy.com ™, cruisecritic.com™, holidaywatchdog.com™, independenttraveler.com™, seatguru.com®, smartertravel.com™, travel-library.com™ and travelpod.com™. TripAdvisor-branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, with more than 25 million monthly visitors*, six million registered members and 15 million reviews and opinions. Featuring real advice from real travelers, TripAdvisor-branded sites cover 300,000+ hotels and attractions and operate in the U.S. (http://www.tripadvisor.com), the U.K. (http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk), Ireland (http://www.tripadvisor.ie), France (http://www.tripadvisor.fr), Germany (http://www.tripadvisor.de), Italy (http://www.tripadvisor.it), and Spain (http://www.tripadvisor.es). TripAdvisor® Media Network provides travel suppliers with graphical advertising opportunities and a cost-per-click marketing platform. Collectively, the sites comprising the TripAdvisor Media Network have won hundreds of awards and accolades from press and industry worldwide. TripAdvisor and the sites comprising the TripAdvisor Media Network are operating companies of Expedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE).

TripAdvisor, SeatGuru, Travel-Library, Holiday Watchdog and TravelPod are either registered trademarks or trademarks of TripAdvisor LLC in the U.S. and/or other countries. Airfarewatchdog, Booking Buddy and Smarter Travel are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Smarter Travel Media LLC in the U.S. and/or other countries. Cruise Critic and The Independent Traveler are either trademarks or registered trademarks of The Independent Traveler, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other logos or product and company names mentioned herein may be the property of their respective owners.

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