Tourism getting big push

St. Tammany Parish isn’t all about laid back visits to the lush natural surroundings any more. The acres of unspoiled terrain and charming rural towns and villages are still a part of the attraction, but the new tourism push is geared toward today’s more active lifestyles.

“Where the old materials focused on the parish as a sedate getaway with pretty scenery, our new materials showcase the vitality of the Northshore,” said Renee Kientz, communications director, St. Tammany Parish Tourist Commission. “We hope to present the parish as a place to come and do something — eat great food, shop, play and have a great time.”

The local tourism office has been busy, she said. In June, it will debut a new visitor’s guide magazine, a new pocket guide and an audio driving tour CD. An all-culinary version of its regular quarterly tabloid, with information about local food, chefs, restaurants, producers and more, will hit the streets. And it will launch its redesigned Web site, www.LouisianaNorthshore.com.

The commission will also take a road trip to lure visitors from the neighboring state of Texas.

“We’re sponsoring ‘Night on the Northshore’ at the Wine and Food Week event June second through the eighth in The Woodlands, just outside Houston,” said Kientz. “We’re bringing a number of local chefs with us who’ll be showcasing their restaurants and the great food of our area.”

The included chefs are Kim Kringle of Dakota, Rene Bajeux of La Provence, Marvin Tweedy of Friends and Amis Primehouse, Kirk Dunbar of Palmettos and Pete Kusiw of Juniper. John Seago of Pontchartrain Vineyards will also be a part of the local contingent.

While the local commission’s calendar has been full and shows no signs of clearing, the parish also just received a bit of a boost from the state.

St. Tammany Parish figures prominently in two just-released Louisiana Office of Tourism projects. One is the latest edition of the state’s visitor’s guide. The other is a brand new addition to its Trails program. This one, sure to attract attention to visitors of a state known for its cuisine, is the Louisiana Culinary Trails.

Slidell native and owner of Lacombe’s La Provence, John Besh, is featured on the cover of the Trails brochure. And in the Creole Fusion section, the featured pathway through the Northshore includes vineyards, pick-your-own farms, breweries and restaurants from Bush to Abita Springs, Covington, Mandeville, Lacombe and Slidell.

Besh is also featured in large local advertisements with the tag line: Come Hungry! Life’s a Feast on the Northshore.

“We bought into the Culinary Trails program at the platinum level to help showcase St. Tammany’s restaurant scene,” said Kientz. “This gives us enhanced listings on the Culinary Trails Web site and also will allow us to participate in a number of food-related trade shows. We’re planning to take news of the Northshore culinary scene to trade shows in Dallas and Birmingham, among other places.”

To check out the Culinary Trails Web site, go to www.louisianatravel.com and click on Eat, then Culinary Trails. To pick up a brochure, stop by the information center at 68099 Louisiana Highway 59.