Dana Monistere and Carla Gaines Tate of Tangi Tourism, Casey Cousins and Christina Cooper of Global Wildlife Center and Emily Matise of Tangi Tourism were on hand to celebrate!
NEWS RELEASE
Louisiana Travel Association Honors Tourism Industry with 2026 Louey Awards
Global Wildlife Center Named Attraction of the Year
LAFAYETTE, La. (Jan. 27, 2026) – The Louisiana Travel Association (LTA) proudly announced Global Wildlife Center as the recipient of the prestigious Attraction of the Year Award at its Annual Meeting in Lafayette, La.
This year, the LTA celebrated excellence in the Louisiana tourism industry by presenting 21 “Louey Awards” to outstanding individuals and organizations. These awards honor those who have made significant contributions to promoting and enhancing Louisiana’s vibrant tourism landscape.
“We are thrilled and honored to receive the Attraction of the Year Award from the Louisiana Travel Association,” said Christina Cooper, Executive Director of Global Wildlife Center. “This recognition inspires us to continue to develop new unique and immersive safari conservation experiences for the world and to bring visitors to our preserve in Folsom, Louisiana to enjoy them. We are indebted to our industry professionals at Louisiana Travel Association for recognizing Global Wildlife Center’s contributions to the tourism community.”
The winners of the 2026 Louey Awards are as follows:
- Attraction of the Year: Global Wildlife Center
- Outstanding Convention and Visitors Bureau/Tourist Commission of the Year (budget up to $499,999): Washington Parish Tourism Commission
- Outstanding Convention and Visitors Bureau/Tourist Commission of the Year (budget from $500,000 – $999,999): Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism
- Outstanding Convention and Visitors Bureau/Tourist Commission of the Year (budget from $1 million and above):New Orleans & Company
- Tourism Campaign of the Year (budget up to $29,999): Experience Ruston- Small Markets Can Pull Big Strings
- Tourism Campaign of the Year (budget up to $29,999): Explore Alexandria Pineville- The Community Heart Project
- Tourism Campaign of the Year (budget of $30,000 and above): Visit The Northshore- Shore To Be Campaign
- Tourism Campaign of the Year (budget of $30,000 and above): Visit Jefferson Parish- In To Be Out
- Attraction of the Year: Old State Capitol
- Accommodation of the Year: Camp Margaritaville Breaux Bridge
- Bed and Breakfast of the Year: The Stockade
- Festival of the Year: Ouachita Riverfest
- Event of the Year: Smoke & Barrel
- Restaurateurs of the Year: John Besh & Octavio Mantilla
- Restaurateur of the Year: Eric Avery
- Major Event of the Year: 2025 USBC Open Championships
- Rising Star of the Year: Tara Morvant
- Will Mangham Tourism Lifetime Achievement: Anne Klenke
- Victor Profis Travel Media: Adrienne Hennis, Advance Travel & Tourism
- Louisiana Spirit Award: Violet Peters
- Marion “Butch” Fox Advocacy Award: Ben Berthelot
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About the Louisiana Travel Association:
The Louisiana Travel Association (LTA) is the statewide trade organization dedicated to leading and strengthening Louisiana’s tourism industry through advocacy, education, and promotion. In 2024, tourism generated $2 billion for the state and remains the fourth-largest employer. For more information, visit LouisianaTravelAssociation.org.