Visit Lake Charles Named 2026 Tourism Office of the Year by Southeast Tourism Society
Sep 15, 2026 02:41PM ● By Kelsey Swire
Visit Lake Charles has been named the 2026 Tourism Office of the Year in the annual budget category of more than $1 million by the Southeast Tourism Society (STS).
The award recognizes destination organizations demonstrating excellence in tourism marketing, promotion, public relations, sales, and overall organizational performance.
The Visit Lake Charles team received the award Thursday, Sept. 10, during the Shining Example Awards Ceremony at the 2026 STS Connections conference in Richmond, Virginia. The recognition was presented as part of the organization’s annual Shining Example Awards, which honors excellence in travel and tourism throughout the Southeast.
“Without question, Visit Lake Charles is made up of a driven, high-performing group of professionals who work hard on behalf of Southwest Louisiana,” said Kyle Edmiston, president and CEO of Visit Lake Charles. “We do not take recognition like this lightly. Our team is deeply committed to growing our visitor economy in ways that support local businesses, create opportunities, and strengthen quality of life throughout our community.”
Visit Lake Charles’ award submission highlighted record tourism performance and measurable results across its marketing, communications, sales, sports, and community engagement efforts.
In 2025, Calcasieu Parish welcomed 7.5 million domestic visitor trips, generating approximately $900 million in local spending. Visitor spending increased 12.9% compared with 2023.
The organization’s sales and sports tourism efforts generated more than 66,000 hotel room nights combined. The sales team booked 145 meetings, conventions, and events, producing 32,324 room nights and an estimated $30 million in economic impact. Those results exceeded the team’s annual room-night goal by 25%.
The Lake Charles Regional Sports Authority hosted 58 sporting events that generated 33,774 room nights, a 23% increase over the previous year. The Sports Authority also secured the NJCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship for Lake Charles from 2026 through 2028.
Marketing initiatives further expanded awareness of Southwest Louisiana as a travel destination. The “As Much Joy As You Can Pack In” campaign generated more than 52 million impressions and increased website traffic by 35%. The campaign delivered an estimated return on investment of $71 for every $1 spent and was attributed to 28,910 room nights and $3.3 million in hotel revenue.
Visit Lake Charles’ public relations efforts secured 80 earned media placements, generating more than 430 million media impressions and an estimated $4 million in advertising value. This coverage expanded awareness of Southwest Louisiana through trusted third-party storytelling.
The organization also strengthened local understanding of tourism’s impact through its “Always Here” advocacy campaign. The initiative brought together 49 local organizations and generated more than 8.47 million impressions and 310,644 measurable engagements.
Visits to the organization’s tourism impact webpage increased 2,567% year over year as residents learned more about how visitor spending supports local businesses, jobs, and quality of life throughout Calcasieu Parish.
The Tourism Office of the Year recognition reflects the collective work of the Visit Lake Charles team and its tourism partners to strengthen Southwest Louisiana’s visitor economy and expand the positive impact of tourism throughout the community.