SouthCoastUSA Announces Gulf Coast Enjoys Economic Boom as Investors Sign On.

NEW ORLEANS -- SouthCoastUSA today announced that each of its partners is reporting strong economic growth and development. Despite the effects of storms that have affected some of the region in recent years, all of SouthCoastUSA's 13 destination points - which span the United States' Gulf Coast from Lake Charles, La., to the Beaches of South Walton, Fla. - are back to business and enjoying healthy and thriving economies. Billions of dollars from private and public sources have been pouring into the region, and all areas are experiencing record growth. The forecast for the next two to three years is even brighter.

SouthCoastUSA's destinations are all unique in what they offer to visitors and residents - from pristine beaches or bayou tours to gaming and development. The variety of these offerings is what makes the Gulf Coast America's favorite coastal travel destination. Each area has its own economic successes, and each has its own story to tell:

Lake Charles, La. - Thanks to the area's "Bettin' on the Bayou" campaign, which has stimulated investments in the gaming industry, Lake Charles and southwestern Louisiana are seeing tremendous growth:

--Delta Downs Racetrack Casino & Hotel completed a $12 million renovation in Spring 2006.

--Sugarcane Bay, a new $350 million Caribbean-themed casino resort will be built by Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc.

--L'Auberge du Lac Hotel & Casino, a gaming resort with a championship golf course and luxurious spa, is adding 250 rooms for a total of 1000.

--The Isle of Capri Casino & Hotel is currently undergoing complete renovations to its Inn at the Isle, which will be completed by Thanksgiving 2006. The Isle's Tower Suites full-scale renovation will begin in September 2006.

Lafayette, La. - Lafayette's economy has remained strong:

--Lafayette is planning a big celebration in 2007 to mark the 250th birthday of its namesake, the Marquis de La Fayette, a Frenchman who fought in the American Revolution alongside American patriots to free our country.

--Forbes (May 2006) sites Lafayette as one of its "Best Places for Business and Careers," ranking it 35th in lowest cost among the top 150 metropolitan areas.

--NuComm International, Canada's leader in outsourced contact center solutions, has chosen Lafayette, Louisiana as the site of its 14th and largest ever customer contact center. The new site, scheduled to open for business in September 2006, is poised to create up to 1000 new contact center jobs for area residents--signaling positive news for Louisiana's economy.

Baton Rouge, La. - As the capital of Louisiana, Baton Rouge has been a busy place in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Although not directly affected by the storms, the city and surrounding area have been hosts to thousands of displaced residents and visitors to the state. The economic impact has been tremendously positive:

--Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center opens August 30th. The $65 million renovation of the historical Heidelberg Hotel will offer two restaurants, a full-service day spa and more than 18,000 square feet of meeting space.

--Even though a specific population increase has yet to be pinpointed in Baton Rouge, other indicators, such as a 25 percent housing increase and a 20 percent increase in retail spending, show a positive impact for the Capital City.

--According to IndustrialInfo.com, Louisiana is 8th in the nation for industrial Project Development with $6.37 billion in total investment value for 242 projects.

Houma, La. - Economic growth in the heart of the Wetlands is evident:

--Two new hotels are about to open, with three more being planned.

--Two museums are being developed: a military museum and the $10 million Wild in the Wetlands museum - a children's discovery center.

--Four new nature boardwalks are being developed, one of them by the Orleans Audubon Society. These will add more opportunities for birding and photography of Louisiana's wetlands.

New Orleans, La. - The city is recovering quickly with an influx of public and private funds driving a tremendous reconstruction effort and a dynamic economic development effort:

--$170 million Harrah's Hotel and Fulton Promenade

--$100 million Trump Tower condominium development

--$716 million Hyatt Regency National Jazz Park & Municipal Complex - to open Fall 2007, will generate 6,500 permanent jobs

--$1.2 billion LSU/VA Medical Complex

--$700 million AFL/CIO Housing & Business Development

--90 percent of businesses in Orleans Parish have reopened.

--$600 million New Market Tax Credit Program (lowers the cost of capital for developers/spurs investment in low-income communities)

--20 major conventions in 2006, including the National Association of Realtors with 25,000 attendees

New Orleans Northshore/St. Tammany Parish, La. - Located across the world's longest bridge from New Orleans (which spans Lake Pontchartrain), this region - with its quieter, understated charm - is showing clear signs of prosperity:

--Visitors are being lured back by the area's offerings of charming shops, restaurants, and attractions that have reopened. The parish is booming, but its natural beauty is unaffected by the new growth; visitors can rent bikes and ride the 31-mile Tammany Trace or rent kayaks for exploring the serene and scenic bayous and rivers.

--At the Global Wildlife Center in Folsom, guides tell the story of how on the night of the storm, all of the center's 3,000-plus animals instinctively gathered in one area of the property and huddled together - even those that were natural enemies - and weathered the storm together. Now nature is doing what it does best, renewing itself. Visitors riding the trams are treated daily to the sight of baby animals everywhere.

--When married couple/hot young chefs Allison Vines-Rushing and Slade Rushing left Manhattan to open a restaurant in tiny Abita Springs, LA., their departure merited a lamentation in The New York Times. Two days before the Rushings' new Longbranch opened its doors, hurricane Katrina swept through. Despite the setback, the Rushings opened two weeks later, even as Red Cross trucks were handing out MREs and much of the region was without electricity. Since its opening, the Longbranch has become a foodie destination with its sophisticated take on Southern food with a French influence.

Mississippi's West Coast (Hancock County) - Mississippi's West Coast, Hancock County, is moving forward with more possible investments than the county has seen since NASA built the John C. Stennis Space Center:

--Trump Properties has signed an intent to form a partnership with Diamondhead Casino Corporation to develop and operate a destination casino resort covering 40 acres on the north shore of the Bay of St. Louis near Diamondhead.

--The $44 million first phase of Infinity Earth and Space Museum at NASA Stennis Space Center will be a new, state-of-the-art science center and visitor attraction that will inspire, amaze and engage those who visit.

--Hollywood Casino in Bay St. Louis (formally Casino Magic) will open September 1, 2006. The Bridges Golf Course, an Arnold Palmer Design, opens in the Fall 2006.

--Silver Slipper Casino, on Mississippi's West Coast at Bayou Caddy, is set to open October 2006. It will be the first land-based casino to be built from the ground up on Mississippi's Gulf Coast.

Mississippi Gulf Coast (Biloxi/Gulfport) - The restructuring of Mississippi's gaming laws is playing a huge part in the reconstruction of the state's coastline, with no fewer than 17 major casinos proposed, under construction or already open for business:

--The Broadwater is a $1 billion project that will consist of 2 casinos; 3,375 condo units; 1,900 hotel rooms; 180-acre, 18-hole golf course; retail and entertainment space; convention space and a marina.

--The Isle of Capri Casino Resort Biloxi with 700 rooms and 200 suites was the first onshore casino to open.

--Beau Rivage, a wholly owned subsidiary of MGM Mirage, committed an investment of $1.35 billion for upgrades and expansion. It will re-open on August 29, 2006, the one year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

--The Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport is operating at 114 percent of the seat capacity that was available pre-Katrina.

Ocean Springs, Miss. - After a remarkable post-storm recovery effort, Ocean Springs is seeing clear signs of renewal and growth:

--Seventeen new restaurants have opened since Katrina, adding to the 37 pre-existing restaurants, and 100 percent of the shops and galleries have reopened, drawing people back to the downtown area.

--With the help of $400 million in federal funds allocated to replace the FEMA trailers for displaced families, small cottage dwellings have been developed by Marianne Cusato and others. Known as "Katrina Cottages," these charming 700- to 1200-square-foot homes are the result of new urbanist proposals made last year at the Mississippi Renewal Forum.

--The Preserve Golf Club is eighteen holes of "pure golf" designed by U.S. Open champion Jerry Pate. Located just north of Ocean Springs in Vancleave, the 245-acres course is surrounded by an additional 1,800 acres of natural preserve.

Mobile Bay, Ala. - Mobile Bay is on the upward swing of an exciting steady growth cycle. With new attractions, blockbuster exhibits, beautiful scenery, unique celebrations and a relaxed coastal culture, this waterfront area is thriving:

--Mobile Bay's annual tourism spending increased by 18 percent last year with more than $661 million spent. Mobile is the second most-visited county in the state with 3,041,056 visitors last year, an increase of more than 15 percent.

--Carnival Cruise Lines celebrates its second anniversary in Mobile Bay this October. The HOLIDAY Fun Ship has been above 100 percent capacity for each sailing since its inaugural trip.

--The fully renovated Battle House Hotel, a Renaissance Property, will open in Downtown Mobile Bay in April 2007. Originally built in 1852, the Battle House dominated the social scene in Mobile Bay for 100 years, serving as a gathering place for high society and a stopover for a variety of American luminaries and statesmen, including Woodrow Wilson and Confederate President Jefferson Davis.

Gulf Shores/Orange Beach, Ala. - Although a mere 32 miles of beachfront, this area is thriving for those wanting to swim, fish, golf or shop. The economy is booming with new businesses and real-estate development:

--The Wharf, a large new development along the Intracoastal Waterway, offers dining, shopping, boating, nightlife, recreation areas, and living space. There are several similar projects in the Waterway District under development.

--$6 to $8 billion in private investments for new development will create more than 30,000 available hotel-condominium units by 2009.

--Gulf Shores/Orange Beach recently received national recognition for The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo, which was the subject of a 13-part series on Animal Planet, "The Little Zoo that Could."

Pensacola, Fla. - While Hurricane Ivan hit this region hard two years ago, the energetic response and recovery effort has served as an inspiration to those destinations further west that were hit last year. New developments are bringing billions of dollars to the area:

--The USS Oriskany, the world's largest artificial reef, has focused the world's attention on the Pensacola Bay Area. It has already become the dive world's latest "must dive" attraction, drawing scuba enthusiasts from across the globe including Russia, Japan, Australia, UK and even Guam.

--$500 million development project that will add 700 new hotel-condominium units on Pensacola Beach.

--Visitors are now discovering other world-class attractions such as Pensacola's 450 years of history ready to explore at premiere museums and historical sites, the National Museum of Naval Aviation (one of the three largest in the world), the world-famous Blue Angels, national parks, pristine beaches, year-round festivals and thriving arts community.

Beaches of South Walton, Fla. - This region was spared any damage from the hurricanes that hit other areas in the last couple of years, and it has been operating "business-as-usual," enjoying steady economic growth and development:

--In March 2006, Beaches of South Walton added its 14th beach community - WaterSound Beach, a 256-acre residential and resort community, to its elite collection of seaside towns. When completed, WaterSound will offer 499 residences providing an assortment of homes with walking paths, dune walkovers, landscaped parks, a beach club and recreational facilities.

--Alys Beach, an environmentally friendly community, is beginning to take shape with idyllic courtyard homes. The town developers, EBSCO Gulf Coast Development, Inc. and construction builders WAVE, are the first in Florida to grind, process and recycle all construction waste. They are also the first builders to build exclusively "Fortified Homes," incorporating all of the latest green/earth-friendly, building-science technology. Completion of the whole community is expected to take six to 10 years.

About SouthCoastUSA

SouthCoastUSA is a multi-state consortium of tourist destinations along Interstate 10 and the Gulf of Mexico, organized to create, enhance and promote brand identification of the region as one of America's top travel destinations. All of the destinations are located along the Gulf Coast - from Lake Charles, La., to The Beaches of South Walton, Fla., and many points in between. Each of the 13 destinations is uniquely charming and brimming with its own local color. For more information, please visit http://www.southcoastusamedia.com. SouthCoastUSA is managed by Compass Marketing, Inc., an integrated media firm based in Gulf Shores, Ala.