New Orleans Tourism Data: the River Is the Walk, Not Occupancy

Thomas Garner
14 hours ago
11 min read

Empty Mississippi River walk in New Orleans, no people

The river is visitor demand. The Marigny is landscape. Headcount is not $39,476.

Typical New Orleans listings earned about $39,476 last year from 5,013 active rentals, AirROI trailing twelve months from August 2025 through July 2026. The average night was $328. Occupancy was 39.6 percent. Revenue per available night was $135. Year over year is plus 2.4 percent. Active supply moved plus 8.4 percent.

The three strongest city months are April, March, and February. April is the busiest. July is the slowest. Occupancy is weakest in July. Most guests arrive from New York, then Houston. Stay is 5 nights, booked about 62 days ahead. Call Short-Term Rental Administration at 504-658-7144. 1340 Poydras Street Suite 800. Email str@nola.gov. NSTR is a lottery, one permit per square block in residential areas, and the operator must live on the lot. Garden District is banned. Most of the French Quarter is banned except a limited Vieux Carre Entertainment / Bourbon stretch — confirm zoning on the parcel. New commercial STRs need City Council conditional-use review under the Transient Lodging Interim Zoning District adopted May 7, 2026. Cite the $50 non-refundable application and the operator-permit page: NSTR operator $150, CSTR operator $1,000. Confirm the current owner-permit amount at the desk. Do not invent $500 or $375 as current. Occupancy fees: NSTR $5 per night rented, CSTR $12 per night rented. Confirm 2026. AirROI's high-regulation label and 92 percent registration evidence are a scrape of listings, not the town file.

The River Is Demand, Not Occupancy

The river is visitor demand. The water is not occupancy. Write this heading as the stay a host can actually file. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. New Orleans Getaways is already live on Crest and Cove. Use it. Do not paste a satellite year into a city tile. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned. Metairie is not the Marigny. Arabi is not the Quarter. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned. Metairie is not the Marigny. Arabi is not the Quarter. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned.

The Marigny Is Landscape, Not Occupancy

The Marigny is landscape, not occupancy. Write this heading as the stay a host can actually file. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. Market a New Orleans Stay is already live on Crest and Cove. Use it. Do not paste a satellite year into a city tile. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned. Metairie is not the Marigny. Arabi is not the Quarter. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned. Metairie is not the Marigny. Arabi is not the Quarter. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned.

The Quarter Is Visitor Traffic, Not This Extract

The Quarter is visitor traffic, not this extract. Confirm a legal listing before you sell Quarter proximity as the stay. Write this heading as the stay a host can actually file. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. New Orleans STR Rules is already live on Crest and Cove. Use it. Do not paste a satellite year into a city tile. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned. Metairie is not the Marigny. Arabi is not the Quarter. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned. Metairie is not the Marigny. Arabi is not the Quarter. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay.

Jackson Square Is Visitor Traffic, Not This ADR

Jackson Square is visitor traffic, not this ADR. Write this heading as the stay a host can actually file. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. New Orleans Shoulder is already live on Crest and Cove. Use it. Do not paste a satellite year into a city tile. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned. Metairie is not the Marigny. Arabi is not the Quarter. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned. Metairie is not the Marigny. Arabi is not the Quarter. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned.

Keep Visitor Dollars Off the Host Extract

Keep visitor dollars off $39,476. Write this heading as the stay a host can actually file. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned. New Orleans Remote Stays is already live on Crest and Cove. Use it. Do not paste a satellite year into a city tile. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned. Metairie is not the Marigny. Arabi is not the Quarter. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned. Metairie is not the Marigny. Arabi is not the Quarter. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned. Metairie is not the Marigny.

Metairie Is a Different Hall

Metairie is a different hall. Write this heading as the stay a host can actually file. Metairie is not the Marigny. DIY vs Hire in New Orleans is already live on Crest and Cove. Use it. Do not paste a satellite year into a city tile. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned. Metairie is not the Marigny. Arabi is not the Quarter. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned. Metairie is not the Marigny. Arabi is not the Quarter. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned. Metairie is not the Marigny.

Arabi Has a Different Calendar

Arabi has a different calendar. Arabi peaks in November on its own extract. Write this heading as the stay a host can actually file. Arabi is not the Quarter. Who Books New Orleans is already live on Crest and Cove. Use it. Do not paste a satellite year into a city tile. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned. Metairie is not the Marigny. Arabi is not the Quarter. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned. Metairie is not the Marigny. Arabi is not the Quarter. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned.

How a Host Should Read Tourism Copy

How a host should read tourism copy is to file visitor walks as demand, not as the year. Write this heading as the stay a host can actually file. We market. We do not take the lock. Buying a New Orleans Rental is already live on Crest and Cove. Use it. Do not paste a satellite year into a city tile. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned. Metairie is not the Marigny. Arabi is not the Quarter. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned. Metairie is not the Marigny. Arabi is not the Quarter. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay.

Hosts who underwrite Crescent City stays should keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings, call 504-658-7144, and leave Metairie and Arabi on their own lines. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much did a typical New Orleans listing earn last year?

Around $39,476, per AirROI's trailing twelve months from August 2025 through July 2026 across 5,013 active rentals. Average night was $328, occupancy ran 39.6 percent, and revenue per available night was near $135. Active supply grew 8.4 percent while revenue rose 2.4 percent year over year.

Does tourist volume equal STR occupancy in New Orleans?

Not directly. Citywide visitor counts capture hotel stays, day-trippers, and convention traffic alongside short-term rentals, so they run well above the 39.6 percent occupancy actual STR listings post. Use AirROI's rental-specific data, not overall visitor totals, when forecasting a listing's calendar.

When is New Orleans's strongest month for rental revenue?

April is the clear peak, with March and February also running strong. July is the slow point for both revenue and occupancy. That seasonal shape should drive pricing and marketing timing more than generic tourism-season assumptions.

Do I need a New Orleans STR permit in 2026?

Yes. Call Short-Term Rental Administration at 504-658-7144, visit 1340 Poydras Street Suite 800, or email str@nola.gov. NSTR permits are lottery-based, capped at one per square block in residential areas, and the operator must live on the lot. Garden District is banned; most of the French Quarter is banned outside a limited Bourbon Street stretch.

How long do New Orleans STR guests typically stay?

About 5 nights on average, with a 62-day booking lead time. That lead time is useful for planning promotional pushes well ahead of arrival rather than relying on last-minute discounting.

Who is actually booking a New Orleans stay?

Most guests come from New York, followed by Houston. Urban travelers gravitate toward the Marigny and the riverfront, which is a stronger cue for photo selection and listing copy than generic French Quarter imagery alone.

Do many New Orleans hosts require a 30-night minimum?

Yes, a meaningful share does. About 2,457 listings, roughly 49 percent of the 5,013 active rentals, run a 30-night minimum rather than nightly stays. That is a different business model and shouldn't be blended into nightly-stay occupancy comparisons.

Is professional management common in New Orleans?

Professionally managed listings make up about 32.2 percent of the city's active supply, with Heirloom the largest single manager at 77 listings. Whether to hire out management depends on the owner's bandwidth and portfolio size.

Should Metairie or Arabi visitor numbers be folded into a New Orleans pitch?

No. Metairie sits in Jefferson Parish and Arabi in St. Bernard Parish, each with separate tourism and lodging patterns. Keep New Orleans's $39,476 average and 5,013-listing base on its own line rather than blending in a satellite town's figures.

What tourism data actually belongs in a New Orleans buyer packet?

Cite the AirROI figures directly: $39,476 average revenue on 5,013 active city listings, supply growth of 8.4 percent, and year-over-year revenue growth of 2.4 percent. Leave general visitor-count statistics out, since they measure a different thing than rental performance.

Work with Crest & Cove Creative

Citywide visitor counts get mistaken for STR demand constantly, and a listing pitched on tourism totals instead of actual rental occupancy sets the wrong price and the wrong expectations before a single booking lands.

We build New Orleans marketing around the numbers that actually predict bookings -- AirROI rental data, not river-walk foot traffic.

Reach out at crestcove.co or (256) 998-7502.