Reopening the French Quarter

This past weekend a full page ad from several business leaders appeared in the Times Picayune as an open letter to the Mayor of New Orleans requesting that the city and, in particular, the French Quarter, be immediately reopened for business.

While it’s easy to rally around this “Open The City” ad, it’s quite another task to instill a sense of infection protection security in potential visitors.  To put it bluntly, before Covid19 hit, the French Quarter was never noted for its sanitary or cleanliness qualities.   Simply reopening the city will not instill a trust among potential visitors that it is indeed free from a high risk of infection.

The city is financially broke and cannot afford the measures necessary to even remotely alleviate visitors’ fears.   Do these businessmen calling for the reopening have a plan and are willing to provide the capital necessary to give tourists and residents assurances that they will have a reduced chance of infection?

To reopen the French Quarter without a plan is foolish and could lead to a total boycott if visitors perceive that nothing changed in its operation to help  protect them.

The N.O. tourist groups are always worried about the crime perception in the Quarter and its effect on potential visitors.  They address it with added police whose presence is visible and reassuring to individuals.

How do they plan to address the Covid-19 perception in the Quarter?

Perhaps the businessmen who posted the “reopen ad” need to post an additional one detailing what they intent to do to help change the sanitary culture of the Quarter, for It would certainly serve a better, more reassuring purpose.

Perception is the controlling factor in the successful return of tourists to the French Quarter.  Simply reopening it without a cultural change may not produce the desired surge in economic revitalization which these businessmen expect.