Date of Award

Spring 4-19-2019

Document Type

Honors Project

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Geography

Department Chair or Program Director

Gallagher, Jacqueline

First Advisor

Finlayson, Caitlin

Second Advisor

Bowen, Dawn

Third Advisor

Moon, Krystyn

Major or Concentration

Geography

Abstract

New Orleans has been a well-known tourist destination since the 1800s and continues to draw visitors every year, especially to its famous French Quarter. The Creole cuisine that calls this region home plays a large role in this place’s ability to have a strong identity, which restaurants in the French Quarter capitalize on. Restaurants in this neighborhood sell the Creole cuisine, but through the analyzation of their Instagram accounts, it is clear that while the cuisine is important, the ability to sell a piece of New Orleans is a greater focus. Gumbo can be found in most any New Orleans restaurant, but these businesses take advantage of New Orleans’ destination image, which largely focuses on the French Quarter as a symbol for the whole city. Based upon an understanding of a tourist’s idea of what “New Orleans” is, restaurants can sell balconies, proximity to Jackson Square, and an abundance of alcohol in order to attract visitors. Since Creole cuisine is prevalent among New Orleans restaurants, it is crucial to advertise elements that make a given business different from others in the nearby area. Rather than cuisine being the focus, elements of New Orleans’ destination identity are sold to visitors who search for restaurants’ Instagram accounts. It is through the sale of restaurants’ own pieces of New Orleans that they are able to distinguish themselves from one another and still attract customers through the allure of the greater New Orleans cultural narrative.

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