LTA

What LTA does

LTA is a nonprofit 501(c)(6) trade association founded in 1992 and headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It serves as the unified industry voice for Louisiana's tourism sector, organizing around three operational pillars: advocacy (lobbying the Louisiana legislature, running TravelPAC, and coordinating Tourism Day at the Capitol), education (Louisiana Travel Summit, Louisiana Tourism Leadership Academy, Women in Leadership Forum), and promotion (cooperative Marketing Plan, Visitor Center Distribution Program across 53 Certified Visitor Centers, Digital Visitor Center, Taste Louisiana culinary trails, Attractions Directory, and a Tradeshow Program where LTA staff attend events on behalf of members).

Its core products are member services rather than software. The technology footprint is operationally lean — Glue Up for member directory management, Constant Contact for monthly newsletters, and Cvent for event registration — rather than a proprietary AI or SaaS platform. The membership base spans Convention & Visitors Bureaus, Tourist Commissions, hotels, restaurants, attractions, historic sites, accommodations, and event organizers across Louisiana, with a concentrated Chairman Circle of ten large destination organizations (New Orleans & Company, Visit Lake Charles, Visit Shreveport-Bossier, Visit Baton Rouge, Visit Jefferson Parish, Lafayette Travel, Tangipahoa Tourism, Visit The Northshore, Explore Alexandria-Pineville, Tangipahoa Tourism) plus media partners AJR Media Group and Miles Partnership.

LTA generates revenue across multiple streams: recurring membership dues, event registrations (Travel Summit FAM Tours at $595; LTLA at $1,695 for LTA members / $2,000 for non-members), Louey Award nominations ($50 each), Visitor Center Distribution fees ($400 one-time or $600-$900 annually), cooperative Marketing Plan media buys, and TravelPAC donations (minimum $100 for voting membership). Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, with member acquisition occurring primarily through advocacy relevance, education events, and recurring industry visibility.

Name

LTA

Legal name

Louisiana Travel Association

Website

https://louisianatravelassociation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Louisiana Travel Association (LTA) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association founded in 1992 that advocates for, educates, and promotes Louisiana's tourism industry on behalf of its member CVBs, tourist commissions, hotels, attractions, restaurants, and event organizers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Baton Rouge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees provide access to networking opportunities, advocacy representation, discounted cooperative marketing programs, educational training, travel and trade leads, and member benefits including affinity programs and member-to-member travel deals.
2. Event Registrations: Revenue from Louisiana Travel Summit registration ($595 for FAM Tours), LTLA tuition ($1,695 for members, $2,000 for non-members), Women in Leadership Forum, and various industry events.
3. Award Submission Fees: Louey Awards nomination submissions cost $50 each, with multiple nominations encouraged.
4. Distribution Program: One-time distribution ($400 for 5,000 brochures) and annual distribution programs ($600-$900 based on brochure size) for placement at 53 Certified Visitor Centers.
5. Cooperative Marketing: Annual marketing plan with discounted media buys through trusted media partners, including advertising space in publications, PR, and research buys.
6. TravelPAC Donations: Political action committee accepting donations (minimum $100 for voting membership) to support legislators who appreciate travel's benefits to Louisiana's economy.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

LTA is a membership-based trade association that serves as the leading voice of Louisiana's travel and tourism industry. It provides strategic advocacy at the state legislature, educational programs (Louisiana Travel Summit, LTLA leadership academy, Louey Awards), and promotional services including cooperative marketing plans, visitor center brochure distribution across 53 certified centers, a Digital Visitor Center platform, tradeshow lead generation, and culinary/outdoor adventure guides for member tourism businesses and CVBs.

Product overview

The Louisiana Travel Association (LTA) is a trade association serving Louisiana's tourism industry through three core pillars: advocacy, education, and promotion. Rather than offering a unified software product, LTA provides a portfolio of member services including educational programs (Louisiana Travel Summit, Louisiana Tourism Leadership Academy), industry recognition (Louey Awards), and promotional services (Visitor Center Distribution Program, Digital Visitor Center, Taste Louisiana, Attractions Directory, Marketing Plan, Tradeshow Program). The association also operates the Women in Leadership Forum for networking and TravelPAC for political advocacy. These services are designed to support tourism businesses, destination marketing organizations, and hospitality professionals across Louisiana.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Louisiana Travel Summit Annual premier educational event featuring keynote addresses from the Lt. Governor, top educational speakers, workshops addressing the latest industry trends, and networking opportunities with tourism professionals.
• Louisiana Tourism Leadership Academy (LTLA) Continuing education and leadership training program for Louisiana's travel and tourism industry professionals, offering six class sessions focusing on leadership, productivity, vision, networking, and statewide issues.
• Louey Awards Annual awards program honoring individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the Louisiana tourism industry, including categories such as Outstanding CVBs/TCs of the Year, Tourism Campaign of the Year, and Rising Star of the Year.
• Visitor Center Distribution Program Program that distributes member brochures to 53 Certified Visitor Centers throughout Louisiana, including one-time distribution (5,000 brochures for $400) and annual distribution options (up to 10,000 brochures).
• Digital Visitor Center Online platform featuring brochures from Louisiana tourism partners, searchable by region (North, Central, South, Cajun Country) and category (Destination, Dining, Places to Stay, Things to Do).
• Marketing Plan Cooperative advertising program offering members discounted media buys with exclusive added value through trusted media partners, providing discounted advertising space in publications.
• Tradeshow Program Program where LTA staff attends travel and trade shows on behalf of members, securing valuable leads including Southeast USA Spotlight, SYTA, Going on Faith, NTA Travel Exchange, ABA, and others.
• TravelPAC Political action committee supporting members of the Louisiana state legislature and candidates who appreciate the benefits travel provides for the state's economy. Donations of $100 or more qualify for voting membership.
• Women in Leadership Forum Annual forum connecting women leaders in the Louisiana tourism industry, providing networking opportunities and professional development.
• Taste Louisiana Culinary program curating an annual Taste Louisiana guide featuring eight delectable road trips across the state, connecting visitors with culinary partners and encouraging them to share adventures using #TasteLouisiana.
• Attractions Directory Brochure highlighting Louisiana's statewide attractions, distributed at tradeshows, online through LouisianaTravel.com, and at visitor centers throughout the state.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tourism supported 224,600 jobs as the 4th largest employer in Louisiana
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Louisiana Office of TourismcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEx-officio board member Doug Bourgeois represents the Louisiana Office of Tourism; LTA works closely with the Office on annual Louisiana Travel Summit and tourism marketing initiatives; the Office provides support for LTA's premier annual event.
• Discover Monroe-West MonroecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChairman Circle partner - major investor supporting LTA's initiatives; represented on the 2026 Chairman's Circle as a leading destination organization.
• Explore HoumacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChairman Circle partner - key regional tourism destination in Louisiana's Bayou Country; actively involved in LTA governance and initiatives.
• Lafayette TravelcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChairman Circle partner representing Louisiana's Cajun Country heartland; key destination marketing organization and major investor in LTA.
• New Orleans & CompanycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChairman Circle partner representing Louisiana's largest tourism destination; Ex-officio board member Walt Leger represents New Orleans & Company; key strategic partner for state tourism.
• Tangipahoa TourismcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChairman Circle partner; Vice-Chairman Carla Tate represents Tangipahoa Tourism on the Executive Committee; major investor in LTA initiatives.
• Visit Baton RougecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChairman Circle partner; Jill Kidder serves on the Board of Directors; represents Louisiana's capital city tourism efforts.
• Visit Jefferson ParishcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChairman Circle partner; Violet Peters serves on the Board of Directors; represents the Greater New Orleans region's suburban tourism.
• Visit Lake CharlescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChairman Circle partner; Timothy Bush serves as Secretary and is VP of Visit Lake Charles; Kyle Edmiston also serves on the Board; represents Southwest Louisiana tourism.
• Visit Shreveport-BossiercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChairman Circle partner; Stacy Brown serves as Events/Education Committee Chair; represents Northwest Louisiana's tourism economy.
• Visit The NorthshorecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChairman Circle partner; Donna O'Daniels serves as Immediate Past-Chairman; represents the North Shore region of Lake Pontchartrain.
• Explore Alexandria-PinevillecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChairman Circle partner; Katie Vanderlick serves on the Board of Directors; represents Central Louisiana tourism.
• AJR Media GroupcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerChairman Circle partner; Nelson Gumm serves as 2026 Chairman of the Board and is founder of AJR Media; provides media and marketing expertise.
• Miles PartnershipcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerChairman Circle partner; Vito Zuppardo represents Miles Partnership on the Board; provides destination marketing expertise and services.
• Compass MediaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of the Louisiana Tourism Leadership Academy (LTLA); provides ongoing support for LTA's educational programming.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Brand USA: National destination marketing organization responsible for promoting the United States as a travel destination internationally. Comparable to LTA in destination promotion mission and cooperative marketing approach, but operating at national scale with public-private funding.
• U.S. Travel Association: National umbrella trade association for the U.S. travel industry, focused on federal advocacy, research, and industry promotion. Comparable to LTA as a peer membership trade body serving tourism stakeholders, but operating at the federal level rather than for a single state.
• American Hotel & Lodging Association: National trade association representing the U.S. lodging industry with advocacy, education, and member benefits. Adjacent peer to LTA in mission (hospitality trade body) and overlapping membership base (hotels, resorts), but vertically focused on lodging rather than full destination tourism.

Direct peers

• Destinations International: Trade association for destination marketing organizations (DMOs) worldwide, offering advocacy, education, certification (CDME), and networking for CVBs and tourism offices. Most directly comparable peer to LTA in mission and member base (CVBs and DMOs), with the same advocacy-plus-education-plus-promotion model.
• Visit Florida: Florida's statewide tourism marketing organization (public-private partnership) that promotes the state destination and supports tourism industry stakeholders. Comparable to LTA as a statewide tourism body, though Florida's structure is more state-funded than a pure member association.
• Texas Travel Alliance: State-level trade association representing Texas's travel and tourism industry through advocacy, education, and marketing programs. Closest functional analog to LTA at similar scale, serving tourism businesses and CVBs within a single large state.
• Tennessee Hospitality & Tourism Association: State trade association for Tennessee's hospitality and tourism industry providing legislative advocacy, education, networking, and promotional services to members. Directly comparable as a state-level membership body with advocacy and education pillars.
• Visit North Carolina: North Carolina's official statewide tourism marketing organization promoting the state and supporting its tourism industry. Comparable state-level tourism promotion body with overlapping mission in advocacy, education, and destination promotion for tourism businesses.

Regional players

• Travel South USA: Regional tourism marketing organization promoting southern U.S. states in international markets through cooperative advertising and trade shows. Comparable to LTA's cooperative marketing program in mission, but operating regionally and internationally rather than within a single state.
• Southeast Tourism Society: Regional tourism trade association serving states across the Southeast U.S. with marketing, research, and networking programs. Comparable to LTA as a tourism trade body but operating regionally rather than within Louisiana, and a natural partner for LTA's tradeshow and cooperative marketing work.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/latravelassoc
• Facebookfacebook.com/LouisianaTravelAssociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/louisianatravelassociation
• Instagraminstagram.com/latravelassoc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LTA