Mardi Gras Is Money For Shreveport-Bossier

A new study shows that Mardi Gras is big business for Northwest Louisiana. According to the report, the area saw 9 million dollars in direct spending and almost 16 million in total economic impact last year.

The report found that those here for a day spent an average of $33 and those that stayed overnight spent an average of $105.

Brandy Evans, spokeswoman for the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourism Bureau, reports that the average hotel occupancy rate was over 90% during parade weekends.

It is estimated that 585,000 people attended Shreveport's 4 big parades last year.