DANIEL TYLER GOODEN / L’Observateur / June 17, 2000

VACHERIE – Day after day they keep rolling in. Massive buses work down theRiver Road pulling up at the old plantation homes, stopping by the local restaurants and spending money.

Though St. James Parish is comfortably nestled between the sprawlingmetropolises of Baton Rouge and New Orleans, more and more the parish is feeling their presence. Whether you enjoy visiting the cities or not, they’recoming to visit here.

Last year, 322,000 tourists came to St. James Parish, spending $2.7 millionto see the sights and taste the food. While Louisiana’s tourism jumped 17.3percent, St. James leaped 26 percent. Almost all tourists are coming in fromNew Orleans, said Norman Marmillion, manager of Laura Plantation.

It seems quite natural that with millions of dollars coming in and more at stake, the local tourism-based businesses would band together, and now they have. A large collection of plantations, bed and breakfasts, restaurants andbanks have formed the St. James Partnership in Tourism Board.”In most businesses it’s best not to get together, but in tourism it will only help us,” said Marmillion. With 400 employees in tourism related jobs, “We’vebecome part of society around here.” Restaurants have changed their food to cater to the visitors. B&C Seafood,owned by Tommy Breaux, has expanded his seafood market and restaurant twice to accommodate the flow of tourists coming from Laura Plantation.

The group got together because of the wide range of attractions in St.

James, insofar as location, “We’re sitting pretty good here,” said Marmillion.

Outside of the numerous bed and breakfasts, the only thing lacking is large scale accommodations. St. James Parish doesn’t have a single motel or hotelon either the west or east bank. When tourists come to visit they have toturn around and go back. “If we can keep them here overnight, we can almostdouble our money,” said Marmillion.

Retail sales are a large chunk of incoming profits, around 75-80 percent.

About 30 percent of Laura Plantation’s profits are from retail sales. Theysell the wares of 34 craftsmen from across the River Parishes.

Contributing $187,000 in sales tax to the parish, Marmillion considers their combined businesses a success. With the St. James Partnership in TourismBoard, Marmillion hopes they can pool their resources for advertising, marketing and political recognition.

Finding a way to get the tourists to stay overnight is the focus of the board at this time.

“We’ve recognized what’s lacking in the parish, and now we’re going to be out looking for someone who can (build accommodations),” said Marmillion.

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