Travel and Tourism Meeting in New Orleans Hosted By U.S. Commerce

Tourists were roll'in on the river on the Creole Queen this afternoon, and the City of New Orleans wants to keep them coming, despite the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

This is the first Travel and Tourism Meeting of its kind hosted by U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke who flew from Washington, D.C. to attend.

Stephen Perry, the President and CEO of the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau says the City of New Orleans, even though there is no oil here, is starting to feel the economic effects of the disaster because of a perception problem, "but we have begun to see the changes already this past month that the powerful impact this kind of issue has on brand and on perception."

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