STRATEGIC POINT 2

Expand and enhance the visitor experience. Baton Rouge must continue to grow and improve the breadth and quality of the visitor experience to that of a world-class destination. Baton Rouge offers a great leisure visitor experience as a state capital city, a river city with gaming and a rich culture and history. Baton Rouge is an education and business hub as well as a destination for groups, conferences and meetings. Visit Baton Rouge partners with all economic development entities, the universities and city/parish officials to support and encourage the expansion of activities that will enhance the visitor and resident experience.

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Focus on “attractors,” defined as those experiences that inspire visitation such as Downtown, LSU Sites, Louisiana’s Old State Capitol, USS KIDD Veterans Museum, Louisiana State Capitol Building, and the Louisiana Art & Science Museum.

Support and encourage growth at all attractions—Old Governor’s Mansion, Magnolia Mound, LSU Rural Life Museum, St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center, etc. Share visitor research that exposes changing trends in traveler expectations with experiences at attractions. The visitor experience must evolve with the visitor expectations.

Expand outdoor experiences and improve/connect existing trail networks. Travelers seek out active outdoor engagement when visiting destinations. Identify opportunities to provide increased access to cycling, hiking, walking, running, paddling, swimming, climbing etc.

Encourage market and support existing outfitters that rent bicycles and kayaks. Equipment rentals are essential for visitors who want to get outside.

Support a more engaging and walkable downtown. In doing so, we should fill the downtown storefronts with more unique, local shopping, to provide what visitors want in store as well as offering shipping back home. Additionally, we need to increase the amount of distinct local dining and rooftop experiences, expand sidewalks and add accessibility curbs at intersections.

Emphasize the expansion and development of unique Baton Rouge dining to establish the city as a well-known dining destination.

G H

Increase capacity to host conferences, meetings and events. We will support and fund a study of potential convention center improvements and team sports facilities that could enhance the appeal of the destination.

Support and encourage the improvement of a riverboat gateway into Baton Rouge. Riverboat traffic is increasing and has the ability to introduce Baton Rouge to many first-time visitors who are likely to return.