NOLA hotel nights back to pre-Katrina levels

from the Times Picayune (3/19):

Local hotel occupany is at pre-Katrina levels
But rates are higher, tourism panel told
Friday, March 21, 2008
By Ann Barks

"Hotel occupancy in St. Tammany Parish has leveled off to pre-Katrina levels, according to the St. Tammany Parish Tourist and Convention Commission.

However, because the market has changed since the storm, rates for those hotel and motel rooms are projected to remain higher, in some cases 40 percent more than before the storm. Therefore, the commission is banking that the revenue generated by hotel/motel taxes has stabilized. Its projected 2008-09 budget reflects this expectation. " ...

for the complete story