And, of course, there's the game: The Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints will play the Minnesota

It all starts with a Mardi Gras-style parade rolling through the French Quarter. Then, the Dave Matthews american express travel rewards Band and country american express travel rewards music star Taylor Swift will perform at the NFL's kickoff concert in Jackson Square.
And, of course, there's the game: The Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints will play the Minnesota Vikings tonight in the Superdome in the NFL season opener, a high-profile rematch of the NFC championship game decided in overtime less than seven months ago.
For the city's tourism -focused enterprises, the full slate of activities is expected to provide an economic shot in the arm, coming at a time when business has usually slowed down in the weeks after Labor Day.
Pinning a dollar figure on the city's anticipated economic impact would be difficult, according to several business owners and representatives, who say the NFC championship game in January might be the closest american express travel rewards comparison.
"One of the most powerful things of the Super Bowl win were the images that were broadcast on the national and international level," Day said. "I think a lot of people took that as a turning point in how they perceived the city, and so we're really looking forward to all of the activities."
The NFL is in its seventh consecutive season of celebrating Super Bowl champions by hosting events, and the opening game, in their city on a Thursday in prime time, said Peter O'Reilly, vice president of fan strategy and marketing for the league.
That much has been apparent to local hotel officials like Tommy Morel, director of sales and marketing for Starwood Properties, which manages the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel and both W hotels in the city.
View full size Dave Martin, The Associated Press 'When word started to get out that there was a lot to do if you didn't have a ticket, that has a lot to do with it,' said Tommy Morel of Starwood american express travel rewards Properties. The Superdome was photographed Wednesday.
"It's huge for the city," said Morel, adding that the properties were running close to capacity through Saturday. "When word started to get out that there was a lot to do if you didn't have a ticket, that has a lot to do with it."
Unlike a big national sports event like the Allstate Sugar Bowl, which pulls travelers from across the country, the NFL season opener is attracting from within the region, diluting the potential economic impact boon of people coming from all over.
"You're american express travel rewards not going to get the same influx of tourism that you might get from the other major sporting events," said Gabe Feldman, an associate professor american express travel rewards of law and director of Tulane University's Sports Law Program. "But what you are going to get is just an avalanche of excitement, and likely american express travel rewards spending coming from locals."
Bernhardt, whose mini-empire in the French Quarter includes the various Tropical Isle bars along Bourbon Street, expects to attract both concert-goers and football fans who decide to go out after the game.