As the Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana, I’m proud to support St. John the Baptist Parish and, in particular, the business and economic development community as it celebrates Economic Development Week May 7 – 12.

Whether here in St. John Parish or across the state, tourism and economic development go hand-in-hand in terms of attracting visitors and businesses and promoting job growth.

I’m pleased to report that as of January 2017 Louisiana had more than 237,000 jobs within the leisure and hospitality industry, meaning 1 out of every 8.5 working adults in Louisiana are employed as a result of the tourism industry.

Since 2007, tourism related employment is the second fastest-growing job sector in Louisiana, increasing nearly 21 percent since 2007 and adding more than 40,000 jobs to the state’s workforce.

It’s with great pride that I announce 2017 as the sixth consecutive year of record-breaking tourism in Louisiana. The state welcomed a record high 47.1 million visitors in 2017. Those visitors spent $17.5 billion, or an average of $371 per person.

Overall, the travel and tourism industry generated $1.8 billion in state and local sales tax revenue, saving each Louisiana household approximately $1,047 in additional taxes.

By promoting Louisiana as a place where you can feed your soul, we can attract more visitors to our state, which in turn means more state tax revenue we generate. It all starts with continuing to invest in the efforts to promote Louisiana as a desirable tourism destination.

St. John has long been a destination for tourists with its world-renowned festivals, outdoor activities, tours and historic homes.

I can personally attest to the hard work and dedication by the River Parishes Tourist Commission in ensuring St. John as well as St. Charles and St. James parishes remain a top destination for visitors.

St. John’s Economic Development Week, held in conjunction with National Economic Development Week, supports an increased awareness for local programs that create jobs, advances career development opportunities and increases the quality of life for all Americans.

Many of the same goals of the National Economic Development Week align with our state’s tourism industry objectives. I shared our common goals across the state as I traveled around Louisiana during National Travel and Tourism Week.

I am proud of the efforts of St. John’s residents, community and business leaders as well as tourism partners in ensuring St. John continues to thrive economically whether through industry, business or tourism.

Billy Nungesser is Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana.