New Orleans is beginning to see a real recovery of tourism after suffering severely from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The city had almost double the amount of visitors in 2007 compared to 2006.

Last year 7.1 million tourists visited New Orleans from outside the US. The visitor numbers were released by the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau recently.

Holidaymakers from the UK are also beginning to show a revived interest in the legendary city. Several tour operators have said they’ve seen a considerable increase in the number of holidays sold to New Orleans, especially in the first few months of 2008.

When hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, 80% of the city was flooded, over 1,600 people were killed and it has caused $100 billion worth of damage.

Despite all that, the city continues to be a great tourist destination and needs it to overcome the effects of the hurricane.