Vermilion Parish tourism figures are on the rise

Each year, the Vermilion Parish Tourist Commission (VPTC) compiles tourism figures and compares these numbers to previous years to measure how tourism is doing in the parish. After being down for a couple of years, tourism is beginning to pick up in the parish. Although not yet back to pre-COVID visitation, the Tourist Commission is noticing more people coming into the Center on a daily basis, including a few international visitors.
According to official tourism figures, VPTC had a total of 21,203 inquiries for 2021 which is 28% higher than 2020. This figure represents 1,382 visitors stopping in the Center for information; 289 call-ins; 9,683 website requests and information downloads; 9,849 requests from e-mail and ads placed in regional and national publications. Walk-in visitors included people from all over the United States and a couple of visitors from Germany. In 2021, over 281,400 people visited the tourism website and social media numbers continue to grow each year.
VPTC is solely funded through a two percent occupancy tax on parish accommodations to operate the Tourist Center and market the parish as a tourist destination. The first quarter of 2022 has seen an increase in occupancy tax revenue and the second quarter is expected to follow that trend with large baseball tournaments occurring almost every weekend at AA Comeaux Park. For March, occupancy tax was up by 10.5% due largely to the two tournaments that were held in Abbeville and Erath. The return of our parish festivals, as well as Acadiana festivals, has helped bring tourists into the parish. Another item that could help with future tourism is the renewed interest in downtown Abbeville and the repurposing of the Audrey Hotel. These projects could open more tourism opportunities and bring in much needed revenue to the City and parish.
To cover the majority of the marketing costs, VPTC applies for grants whenever possible. In 2021, the Commission received $20,000 from the Louisiana Office of Tourism (LOT) to help market the parish. In addition to this grant, VPTC received a $11,746 LOT Sunshine Grant and $1,443 from the Lt. Governor’s Co-op Grant to be used on approved state advertising programs. These grants help VPTC promote our parish’s tourism entities to a wider audience through print, digital and social media.
For more information on what to see or do in the area or to request a copy of the 2021 Progress Report, visit www.mostcajun.com or contact VPTC at 898-6600 or info@vermilion.org. The Tourist Commission office is located at 200 N Magdalen Square in downtown Abbeville and is open Mondays through Fridays from 9:00 am-4:30 pm and Saturdays from 9:00 am-3:30 pm.