Strong Year Reported for Tourism in Lincoln Parish - 2024

Written by: Tori Davis

Based on proprietary visitor intelligence data, the parish saw an 18% increase in new visitors to the area, and a 7% increase in total trips to the area. The data also shows that 57.2% of visitors stayed two plus days in destination, 50.1% of visitors are from out-of-state, and May-July continue to be peak visitor months. Additionally, lodging tax was up 10% from the previous year.

"We are very pleased to see these positive tourism trends in our area," said Amanda Carrier, President & CEO of Experience Ruston. "It has been an interesting few years for the travel and tourism industry, so seeing increases across the board is a great indicator of the health of our destination."

In alignment with its mission of growing Ruston & Lincoln Parish through tourism promotion and community connection, Experience Ruston awarded a total of $377,647.54 in grants and sports tourism support in 2023. Of that, $195,362.10 was granted to area attractions for destination and community development. Grant recipients included the Autrey House Museum, Lincoln Parish Park, and the North Louisiana Exhibition Center. Enhancement projects at both Lincoln Parish Park and the North Louisiana Exhibition Center were done in collaboration with the Lincoln Parish Police Jury.

"Our strategic partnership with the Lincoln Parish Convention and Visitors Bureau has allowed the parish to expand our presence as a regional tourist destination," said Courtney Hall, Parish Administrator.

In addition to increased visitation and grant allocations, it was a record setting year for the Louisiana Peach Festival, which saw more than 24,000 festival attendees, a 10% increase from 2022. The festival is produced in partnership by the City of Ruston, Downtown Ruston, and Experience Ruston. The planning committee anticipates an even higher turnout for this year's free festival scheduled for June 1, 2024.

Experience Ruston plans to expand on this tourism impact data during National Travel & Tourism Week, set for May 19-25. More information about National Travel & Tourism Weeek will be available in April on ExperienceRuston.com

About the Ruston Lincoln Convention & Visitors Bureau

The Ruston Lincoln Convention & Visitors Bureau is a destination marketing organization that works to create, preserve and enhance a variety of quality visitor experiences through the promotion of Lincoln Parish. For more information, visit www.experienceruston.com