In a country where most metropolitan areas look very much alike, New Orleans is a city that is peerless. Many of its architectural wonders -- the famous cast-iron galleries of the French Quarter and the creole cottages, shotgun houses and colorful raised bungalows that grace other neighborhoods -- simply aren't found anywhere else. With French, Caribbean, African and American influences, New Orleans is a rich gumbo of cultures with many treasured and irreplaceable tourist haunts. Despite the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, the celebrated historic core of New Orleans -- including the French Quarter, Faubourg Marigny, the Central Business District, the Garden District, the Warehouse and Arts District, Magazine Street, and Audubon Park and Zoo -- is not only largely intact but thriving. National Trust Historic Hotels of America has five member hotels in New Orleans: Hotel Monteleone, Le Pavillon Hotel, Delta Queen Steamboat Company, Bienville House Hotel and Hotel Maison deVille and the Audubon Cottages. As evidenced by the recent success of Mardi Gras, and the plans for the French Quarter Festival, the Jazz and Heritage Festival and Southern Decadence, the historic and cultural experience that only New Orleans offers is as rich and welcoming as ever.

For these reasons, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the country's largest private, nonprofit preservation organization, today recognized the city of New Orleans for exemplary achievement in heritage tourism. The citation reads, "New Orleans is a richly unique, authentic, historic community that is reinventing itself through preservation-based revitalization. The National Trust salutes the unflagging spirit of the people of New Orleans."

"Almost immediately after the hurricane hit, the people of New Orleans realized that it would be impossible to imagine America without their hometown. Some places are just too important to let go," said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. "New Orleans' rebirth as a tourist destination is the untold story of the year."

In saluting New Orleans for its commitment to rebuild its heritage tourism program, the National Trust also cautioned that the rebuilding work is only just beginning. In May 2006, the National Trust placed the historic neighborhoods of New Orleans on its 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list, and hosted a landmark conference that examined the role the city's cultural legacy will play in recovery efforts. The Trust also operates a New Orleans field office, works with the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans to offer homeowners technical and financial assistance, and continues to lobby the federal government for appropriations to repair and rehabilitate flood-damaged historic resources.

The recognition for New Orleans was part of the National Trust's 2007 release of America's Dozen Distinctive Destinations, an annual list of unique and lovingly preserved communities in the United States. The 12 sites on the list were selected from 63 destinations in 27 states that were nominated by individuals, preservation organizations and local communities.

For more information about New Orleans, please visit prcno.org