CULTURE, RECREATION AND TOURISM, LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF

What CULTURE, RECREATION AND TOURISM, LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF does

The Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism (DCRT) is a state government agency operating under the Office of the Lieutenant Governor that consolidates tourism promotion, cultural heritage preservation, recreational facility management, and library services for the State of Louisiana. It operates through multiple divisions: the Louisiana Office of Tourism (state destination marketing), Louisiana State Parks (21+ parks and historic sites including the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Poverty Point), the Office of Cultural Development (Division of the Arts, Division of Archaeology, Division of Historic Preservation, and the CODOFIL French language program), the Louisiana State Museum (nine sites including French Quarter landmarks such as the Cabildo, Presbytere, and Old U.S. Mint), the State Library of Louisiana, Louisiana Seafood, Volunteer Louisiana, Keep Louisiana Beautiful, and the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area.

DCRT's technology footprint includes the ExploreLouisiana.com tourism portal, lastateparks.com and the reservations.gooutdoorslouisiana.com reservation system, and proprietary archaeological databases managed by the Division of Archaeology - specifically the Louisiana Cultural Resources Map (a GIS system covering standing structures and archaeological sites), the Louisiana Radiocarbon Database, and the Excavated Sites Database. The agency operates a network of 8 physical Welcome Centers at major interstate entry points (I-10, I-20, I-55, I-59), curated brochure distribution racks, and the trademarked 'Feed Your Soul' tourism brand, which Cooperative Marketing and Competitive Grant Program recipients are contractually required to use.

The agency's funding combines state appropriations with transactional revenue from venue rentals (museums, state library meeting rooms, Capitol Park Welcome Center), grant administration (Competitive Grant Program for Festivals & Events; Cooperative Marketing Program for CVBs and Tourist Commissions), and ancillary fees from state parks. In 2024, tourism activity promoted by DCRT generated $18.5 billion in visitor spending and $2 billion in state and local tax revenues across 44.5 million visitors, with the leisure and hospitality industry ranking as Louisiana's fourth-highest employer.

Name

CULTURE, RECREATION AND TOURISM, LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF

Legal name

Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism

Website

https://crt.state.la.us

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism is a state government agency that promotes tourism, manages state parks and museums, preserves cultural and archaeological heritage, and administers grants to industry partners across Louisiana.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

State Tourism and Cultural Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Historical Sites (71212), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Interpretation & Education Centers (Visitor Centers, Museums) (THAAAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

National Parks & Protected Area Visitor Services (Concessions, Guided Access) (THAAAAAH), Education & Community Programs (Junior Ranger, Citizen Science, School Programs) (THAAAGAK), Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI), Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

Keywords

• State tourism promotion
• Cultural heritage preservation
• State parks management
• Museum and library services
• Arts and archaeology programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Baton Rouge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tourism Visitor Spending: Tourism generates $18.5 billion in visitor spending annually, with $2 billion in state and local tax revenues. The leisure and hospitality industry is the 4th highest employer in Louisiana.
2. Competitive Grant Program: DCRT administers the Competitive Grant Program for Festivals & Events and Cooperative Marketing Program for CVBs and Tourist Commissions, providing funding to industry partners.
3. Facility Rentals: Revenue generated from renting event spaces including State Library rooms, Capitol Park Museum, The Cabildo, The Presbytere, Old U.S. Mint, and Capitol Park Welcome Center to private events.
4. State Appropriation: As a Louisiana state agency, DCRT receives state budget appropriations to fund cultural development, state parks, museums, libraries, and tourism promotion activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

DCRT is a state agency that promotes Louisiana as a tourism destination through the ExploreLouisiana.com portal, eight interstate Welcome Centers, and cooperative marketing programs, while operating 21 state parks and historic sites (including the Poverty Point World Heritage Site), nine state museums, the State Library of Louisiana, and cultural development divisions covering archaeology, historic preservation, the arts, and French language (CODOFIL). It also administers competitive grant and cooperative marketing programs for tourism industry partners and rents museum and library venues for private events.

Product overview

The Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism (DCRT) is a state government agency led by the Office of the Lieutenant Governor offering a diverse portfolio of programs and services rather than a unified commercial product. The department operates through multiple divisions: Louisiana Office of Tourism (promoting the state through ExploreLouisiana.com, eight Welcome Centers, and industry partnerships); Louisiana State Parks (managing recreation areas, historic sites, cabin reservations, and venue rentals); Office of Cultural Development (overseeing Division of the Arts, Division of Archaeology with digital databases and educational resources, Division of Historic Preservation, and CODOFIL French language programs); Louisiana State Museum (operating nine museum sites including French Quarter landmarks with facility rentals); State Library of Louisiana (providing research resources and meeting rooms); Louisiana Seafood (industry marketing); Volunteer Louisiana; Atchafalaya National Heritage Area; and Keep Louisiana Beautiful environmental programs. The department also manages the Audubon Golf Trail, Louisiana Book Festival, Historical Marker Program, and Scenic Byways initiative.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Feed Your Soul: Louisiana tourism marketing campaign brand tagline
• ExploreLouisiana.com
• LouisianaTravel.com
• Louisiana Feed Your Soul

Products and services

• ExploreLouisiana.com Official state tourism portal featuring travel information, event calendars, trip planning tools, industry partner resources, and marketing content for Louisiana visitors.
• Louisiana Welcome Centers Network of eight physical welcome centers at interstate entry points (I-10, I-20, I-55, I-59) providing travel information, brochures, maps, and visitor assistance to travelers entering Louisiana.
• Louisiana State Parks System of 21 state parks, historic sites, and preservation areas offering camping, fishing, outdoor recreation, cabin rentals, and environmental education across Louisiana.
• Division of the Arts State arts agency providing grants, programs, and support for artists, arts organizations, and communities including Louisiana Folklife Program, Cultural Districts, and Percent for Art.
• Division of Archaeology State archaeology office recording, protecting, and distributing information about Louisiana's archaeological resources and heritage, including educational exhibits, traveling trunks, and digital resources.
• Division of Historic Preservation State preservation office managing National Register nominations, Section 106 reviews, tax incentives, Main Street program, and certified local government programs.
• Louisiana Main Street Program Downtown revitalization program helping communities preserve historic commercial districts through technical assistance and support, celebrating 40 years of operation in Louisiana.
• Poverty Point World Heritage Site UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring 3,400-year-old prehistoric American Indian earthworks; includes station archaeology program and educational resources.
• CODOFIL (Council for the Development of French in Louisiana) State agency supporting Louisiana's francophone communities through French immersion programs, scholarships, and community and language skill-building programs.
• Louisiana State Museum Statewide museum system with nine sites including seven historic French Quarter buildings (Cabildo, Presbytere), regional museums in Baton Rouge, Thibodaux, and Patterson, and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.
• Museum Facility Rentals Rental of museum spaces including the Capitol Park Museum, Cabildo, Presbytere, Old U.S. Mint (Jazz Museum), and other state museum facilities for weddings, receptions, meetings, and events.
• State Library of Louisiana State library providing research resources, Talking Books and Braille Library, Louisiana Collection materials, meeting rooms, and public access to government information.
• Louisiana Seafood State program promoting and marketing Louisiana's seafood industry, seafood producers, and culinary tourism.
• Volunteer Louisiana State volunteer service initiative connecting citizens with volunteer opportunities and national service programs across Louisiana.
• Atchafalaya National Heritage Area Fifteen-parish heritage area promoting the unique culture, history, and ecology of south-central Louisiana including swamp tours, Cajun heritage, and outdoor recreation.
• Keep Louisiana Beautiful Environmental beautification initiative providing community grants, litter prevention programs, and cleanup volunteer opportunities.
• Audubon Golf Trail Collection of sixteen championship golf courses throughout Louisiana, showcasing courses designed by notable architects like Arnold Palmer and Hal Sutton.
• State Park Venue Rentals Rental facilities at state parks including meeting rooms, pavilions, and event venues at locations such as Bogue Chitto State Park, Chemin-A-Haut State Park, and others.
• Capitol Park Welcome Center Rental Event venue rental at the Capitol Park Welcome Center offering meeting rooms, theatre space, and patio areas with views of the Mississippi River and Capitol grounds.
• Louisiana Book Festival Annual literary festival celebrating authors, books, and reading held in Baton Rouge.
• Competitive Grant Program for Festivals & Events Competitive grant program providing funding for festivals and events through the Louisiana Office of Tourism Industry Portal for tourism industry partners.
• Cooperative Marketing Program for CVBs and Tourist Commissions Cooperative marketing program providing grant funding for Convention and Visitors Bureaus and Tourist Commissions through the Louisiana Office of Tourism Industry Portal, requiring use of Feed Your Soul / ExploreLouisiana.com branding.
• Scenic Byways & Trails Program promoting Louisiana's scenic byways, trails, and heritage routes for tourism including paddle trails and recreation trails.
• Archaeological CRM Databases Online searchable databases for archaeological sites, radiocarbon dates, cultural resources management bibliography, and contracting archaeologist directories supporting Section 106 compliance.
• Louisiana Research & Statistics Tourism research division providing visitor statistics, economic impact data, industry trends, and tourism indicators for Louisiana.

Quantifiable outcome

• 44.5 million visitors generating $18.5 billion in visitor spending and $2 billion in state/local tax revenues annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• LouisianaRadiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership relationship for aggregate user information sharing. Users submitting information to LouisianaRadio partners fall under their privacy policies.
• TravelocityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for aggregate user information sharing. Travel-related partnerships throughout the site help extend Louisiana tourism marketing reach.
• U.S. Travel AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational travel industry association providing research resources, industry data, and advocacy for tourism professionals including DCRT staff.
• Travel & Tourism Research Association (TTRA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional research association for travel and tourism researchers providing access to industry research methodologies and networking.
• U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticscoreOthersFederal statistical agency providing labor statistics and employment data referenced in Louisiana tourism research.
• Audubon Golf Trail Golf CoursesminorGTM or Marketing Partner16 pro-designed golf courses throughout Louisiana promoted through the Audubon Golf Trail program including courses by Arnold Palmer and other notable designers.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Tripadvisor (Consumer Travel Platform): Large consumer travel discovery platform referenced by DCRT marketing materials; not a direct competitor, but shapes the distribution channel for tourism content DCRT publishes via ExploreLouisiana.com.
• Travel South USA: Regional tourism marketing partnership covering 12 southern U.S. states; partners with DCRT (via U.S. Travel Association) to coordinate regional promotion, providing an ecosystem-level peer in destination marketing cooperation.

Broad incumbents

• Smithsonian Institution: A larger, established museum/heritage and education institution; comparable to Louisiana State Museum's interpretation, education, and visitor services across a multi-building, multi-site footprint.
• National Park Service: U.S. federal agency operating units analogous to Louisiana State Parks (Poverty Point, historic preservation, interpretation centers); broader scope but overlapping functions on park management, visitor centers, and archaeological preservation.
• Brand USA: National destination marketing organization for inbound international tourism to the United States; complements state-level agencies like DCRT by promoting the U.S. brand globally, with whom Louisiana's international sales team coordinates.

Direct peers

• Travel Texas (Office of the Governor, Economic Development & Tourism): State-level Texas tourism promotion under the Governor's office, operating the same model as DCRT's Louisiana Office of Tourism — destination marketing, industry grants, and welcome infrastructure in a neighboring Gulf/South state.
• Visit Florida: Florida's state-level tourism promotion agency (VISIT FLORIDA), a direct structural peer: state government–supported destination marketing organization running equivalent welcome/information infrastructure and consumer marketing campaigns.
• Visit California: California's statewide destination marketing organization, similar in mission (state tourism promotion, partner cooperative marketing, brand campaigns) at a larger scale — useful as a comparable for scaled-state tourism agencies.

Regional players

• New Orleans & Company: The official Destination Marketing Organization for New Orleans — a city-level CVB funded in part through DCRT's Cooperative Marketing Program; comparable as a regional tourism partner that depends on DCRT's grant pipeline.
• Visit Mississippi (Mississippi Development Authority, Tourism): State tourism marketing for neighboring Mississippi — geographic neighbor with similar budget scale and audience profile, useful regional comparison for Gulf/South tourism share dynamics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=-LVGf5Z2g0Q
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/culture-recreation-and-tourism-louisiana-department-of

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries9 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 CULTURE, RECREATION AND TOURISM, LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF