By Leah Jackson

Students and faculty from Northwestern State University’s Department of Hospitality Management and Tourism, along with NSU President and First Lady Dr. Jim and Tonia Henderson, joined tourism partners from the city and parish for a Travel and Tourism Rally Wednesday to welcome Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser to Natchitoches. Nungesser is travelling around Louisiana as part of National Tourism Week to support the industry that brought nearly 30 million visitors to Louisiana last year, generating more than $800 million in state tax revenue. Representatives from the Natchitoches Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, the city and parish, Cane River National Heritage Area, National Park Service, Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum and joined members of the Chamber of Commerce, local hoteliers, innkeepers and restaurateurs to discuss the economic impact of tourism in Natchitoches. The rally took place at Fort St. Jean Baptiste, a state historic site.