Incentive trips in New Orleans
When to reward your top performers in New Orleans, which festival dates to check, and how a local planner can host qualifiers and their guests.
An incentive trip in New Orleans gives qualifiers and their guests the French Quarter, a riverfront park and the music clubs of Frenchmen Street. Spring and late fall bring mild days. Tell us who earned the trip, who is traveling with them and when, and we'll look for a New Orleans planner to host it.
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New Orleans incentive trip in the Vieux Carré
A reward trip for New Orleans that keeps earners in the French Quarter. The RTA Airport Express bus runs into New Orleans and picks up at two downtown spots, Elk Place at Cleveland and the Union Passenger Terminal.
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Day 1
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afternoon: Airport Express into town
The Airport Express brings earners to its Elk Place stop or to the Union Passenger Terminal, also the Amtrak station on Loyola Avenue; others come by car. Rooms are held in the French Quarter.
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evening: welcome in the Vieux Carré
A private room in the French Quarter for the welcome dinner with earners and their guests.
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Show the rest of the program
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Day 2
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morning: Woldenberg Park by the river
A slow morning, with a walk in Woldenberg Park, the green space between the Mississippi River and the French Quarter.
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afternoon: reward outing in the Quarter
The main reward experience is a private outing the planner books in the French Quarter.
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evening: Frenchmen Street on your own
No group plan. Anyone going out can head to the Faubourg Marigny, where the blocks of Frenchmen Street closest to the Quarter house music clubs.
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Day 3
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morning: the free day
The day is open. Breakfast runs late and nobody is expected anywhere.
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evening: farewell dinner in the Vieux Carré
A reserved private room in the Vieux Carré for the closing dinner.
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Day 4
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morning: departures by bus, rail or car
Checkout at each person's pace. The Airport Express stops at Elk Place and at the Union Passenger Terminal, Amtrak trains leave from the terminal itself, and cars go when ready.
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Deciding on New Orleans
- Airports
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For an incentive trip, guests fly into these airports.
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) is the commercial airport. The RTA Airport Express (202) bus runs to two downtown New Orleans stops: Elk Place at Cleveland and the Union Passenger Terminal (Bus Bay 2). The JeT Veterans-Airport (E1) bus runs to City Park Avenue. - Getting there
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For an incentive trip, this is how guests get from the airport.
Airport to downtown: RTA Airport Express (202) bus. Rail: Amtrak serves New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal. Transit: the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA) runs buses and streetcars. - Best months
- March and April average highs of 72.3°F and 78.5°F in NOAA's current 30-year normals at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. October and November average 80.6°F and 71.2°F in the same normals. October brings 3.70 inches of rain in the same normals.
- Worst months
- June, July and August average highs of 90.0°F, 91.4°F and 91.3°F in NOAA's current 30-year normals at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. June brings 7.62 inches of rain in the same normals. French Quarter Festival runs April 8 to 11, 2027.
- Events to avoid
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For an incentive trip, these citywide dates fill the city.
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New Orleans Bowl (college football)
Wednesday, December 23, 2026
For an incentive trip: a pre-holiday date in the city; check any late-December trip against it.
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French Quarter Festival
April 8–11, 2027
For an incentive trip: the festival is in the French Quarter, so plan around it, or build the trip around it on purpose.
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Satchmo SummerFest
July 31 – August 1, 2027
For an incentive trip: the summer is already hot and wet, so if the trip falls that weekend, check it against the festival before you hold rooms.
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- City features
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The French Quarter
Also called the Vieux Carré, the city's historic quarter for an evening walk with guests.
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Woldenberg Park
Goldring Woldenberg Riverfront Park is 16 acres of green space between the Mississippi River and the French Quarter.
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Frenchmen Street
In Faubourg Marigny, its blocks closest to the French Quarter house music clubs, restaurants and cafés.
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Airport Express to downtown
The RTA Airport Express (202) stops downtown at Elk Place at Cleveland, or at the Union Passenger Terminal, Bus Bay 2.
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A second airport bus
JeT's Veterans-Airport (E1) bus runs from the airport to City Park Avenue in New Orleans.
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Union Passenger Terminal
Amtrak trains and the Airport Express both use the terminal, for guests arriving by rail or bus.
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Frequently asked questions
When is a good time for an incentive trip in New Orleans?
Spring and late fall. NOAA's current 30-year normals at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport give March an average high of 72.3°F, April 78.5°F, October 80.6°F and November 71.2°F, with 3.70 inches of rain in October. Summer is hot and wet in the same normals, with June, July and August averaging 90.0°F, 91.4°F and 91.3°F and June bringing 7.62 inches of rain. January averages a high of 62.5°F in the same normals, cool enough that evening walks call for a jacket. In April, check the French Quarter Festival on April 8 to 11, 2027.
Where in New Orleans should qualifiers and guests spend their time?
The French Quarter, also called the Vieux Carré, sets the tone for an evening walk. Goldring Woldenberg Riverfront Park offers 16 acres of green space between the Mississippi River and the Quarter, a calm place for a morning with guests. In Faubourg Marigny, the blocks of Frenchmen Street closest to the French Quarter house music clubs, restaurants and cafés, so an open evening can end with live music. A planner can keep the welcome and farewell dinners close to the hotel so guests walk rather than ride.
How do guests get to a New Orleans incentive trip?
Flights land at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. The RTA Airport Express (202) bus runs into New Orleans, with downtown stops at Elk Place at Cleveland and at the Union Passenger Terminal, Bus Bay 2. JeT's Veterans-Airport (E1) bus runs to City Park Avenue in New Orleans. Amtrak trains also use the Union Passenger Terminal. For a reward trip, a greeter and a car at arrivals spare guests the bus with their bags.
Which New Orleans dates should an incentive trip avoid?
Three dates are published so far. The New Orleans Bowl is on Wednesday, December 23, 2026, the French Quarter Festival is in the French Quarter April 8 to 11, 2027, and Satchmo SummerFest runs July 31 to August 1, 2027. Other festivals have not yet published 2027 dates, so confirm any spring or summer trip against the festival calendar before you hold rooms. If a festival is part of the reward, a planner can build the trip around it on purpose.
What makes a New Orleans incentive trip feel like a reward?
Evenings that guests remember. A welcome dinner in the French Quarter, a morning in Woldenberg Park by the Mississippi and an open night on Frenchmen Street, where music clubs, restaurants and cafés line the blocks closest to the Quarter, give qualifiers a mix of hosted and open time. Partners traveling along can join the hosted moments or explore at their own speed. A planner can add the small touches, such as a note in the room, that make the trip feel earned.
Do we need a local planner for a New Orleans incentive trip?
A reward trip brings room blocks, airport arrivals and transfers, a welcome dinner, an award evening and a festival calendar that shifts year to year. A planner who works in New Orleans can book venues in and near the French Quarter, arrange arrivals and look after qualifiers and their guests, so your team can enjoy the trip too. Send us your dates, who is traveling and what the trip should feel like, and we'll look for a New Orleans planner who fits.
Get matched with a local planner.
