Suzanne Becker, the general manager of the boutique Henry Howard Hotel in the Lower Garden District, expressed disappointment at how the delta variant affected their August. Despite this setback, the hotel was finally expecting a full house after weeks of low occupancy. Many hotels in the area were fully booked for holiday weekends, allowing them to charge higher room rates. Becker had high hopes for a successful period ahead. However, the cancellation of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in October due to rising coronavirus cases resulted in the loss of many reservations. Despite the challenges faced by hotels due to the delta variant, they were eagerly anticipating Labor Day in New Orleans. Robert LeBlanc, owner of the Chloe boutique hotel, mentioned that Labor Day is a popular time in the city. His hotel was fully booked and he had more restaurant reservations for large parties compared to late July. The French Quarter was expected to be bustling with visitors for Southern Decadence, also known as "gay Mardi Gras." Beaux Church, who manages three gay bars in the French Quarter, scheduled twice as many bartenders as usual for the busy weekend. Despite having enough staff, he was confident that they would leave with a lot of tips. He believed that the weekend would help them recover from the losses they suffered during COVID-19, enabling them to catch up on rent and pay off extra credit card debt. However, Hurricane Ida hit Louisiana, causing devastation and forcing his bartenders to evacuate to other cities. As a result, The Henry Howard Hotel, along with many others, is now vacant. Southern Decadence has been canceled once more. Even Cafe Lafitte in Exile, a gay bar known for being open 24 hours a day, even during Hurricane Katrina, has been forced to close because they cannot turn on the lights, air conditioning, or margarita machine. With many still without power in the city and surrounding areas assessing damage, New Orleans' tourism industry, a key economic driver, is once again facing challenges. Tony Leggio, a Southern Decadence organizer, expressed concern that Ida may deter visitors long-term, similar to the impact Hurricane Katrina had in 2005 when tourist numbers dropped by over 60 percent. It wasn't until 2010 that the number of visitors returned to pre-Katrina levels. Kelly Schulz, a spokesperson for New Orleans & Company, emphasized that Hurricane Katrina did not have the same impact on New Orleans as it did on other parts of Louisiana and Mississippi. Since the city did not experience flooding, the tourist infrastructure remained intact. Schulz expressed hope that tourists would return once power is restored. However, some argue that the city may be better off without large crowds due to the high number of COVID cases and low vaccination rates. Researchers have attributed the explosive coronavirus outbreak in the city to Mardi Gras celebrations in February 2020. However, restaurant owners, hotel managers, and event planners believe that they could have accommodated visitors if the storm had not disrupted their plans. The city now requires proof of vaccination or a recent coronavirus test, along with masks, to enter most businesses. Visitors seemed to appreciate these rules as they provided a sense of safety when moving forward with events, according to Amanda Price, an event planner in New Orleans. Traditionally, Labor Day weekend is not a popular time for weddings in the city, especially during the active hurricane season. However, this year many couples were determined to host weddings that had previously been canceled due to the pandemic and restrictions on large gatherings. "It has been extremely hectic," stated Cayla Contardi, a resident of Austin, Texas and one of Price's clients who was looking for a fresh start. Saturday, September 4th marked her third wedding date. Initially planned for June 20, 2020 in Tucson, Arizona, the event was intended to be a 120-person affair in a ballroom in the French Quarter, with all guests either recovered from COVID or fully vaccinated. On Saturday afternoon, Contardi received devastating news that her husband's family in New Orleans and St Tammany Parish, located about 50 miles north of the city, were evacuating their homes. Despite being informed by the hotel on Monday that her wedding guests could no longer stay due to severe damage, she struggled to come to terms with the cancellation of her wedding. Contardi mentioned having a beautiful dress she had owned for three years and stated she would not plan a wedding for a fourth time. Labor Day had traditionally been a profitable weekend for restaurants in New Orleans, according to Nina Compton, the chef of Compère Lapin and Bywater American Bistro, who mentioned that food was being wasted as a result of the situation. She mentioned that usually many people visit the town for a big celebration before school begins, and she was expecting a busy week this year. However, when she saw the storm approaching, she realized that it would not be the case. What has been most difficult for her to accept is that while people across the state are facing hardships, restaurants are having to discard a lot of perfectly good food. She explained that it is challenging to donate food to those in need because they may not have the means to cook it. She shared this sentiment as she finished cleaning out the walk-in fridge at Compère Lapin. She had found a buyer for the produce but the milk and fresh pasta were going to be thrown away. James Doucette, the general manager of Meals From The Heart Cafe, expressed regret over the waste as well. In an email, he mentioned that the storm is another challenge they have to overcome, and his team is currently displaced. Alon Shaya, the founder of Pomegranate Hospitality, also noted that it's not just the loss of weekend tourists that will harm the restaurant industry, but also the impact on longer-term visitors due to the storm. Students had recently come back to Tulane University, which had been beneficial for his restaurant, Saba, located about a mile away. However, the university has now decided to postpone classes for at least another month. This sudden change of plans is a familiar feeling for the hospitality industry in New Orleans. At the beginning of the pandemic, business was so poor that almost half of the city's restaurants and one-third of its hotels closed indefinitely. But as more people received the vaccine and started to come back to New Orleans, optimism began to rise. During the spring, business for Church, who oversees a diner and three French Quarter gay bars, reached a new high in 2018. However, the arrival of the delta variant led to a drastic decline in revenue on Bourbon Street. Church mentioned that his bars went from making $10,000 a night to $1,000 practically overnight. He believes that the drop in tourists was due to his staff enforcing rules requiring proof of vaccination and masks, which he fully supports. Despite the challenges, Church was optimistic about the upcoming weekend due to clear communication from the Southern Decadence festival regarding requirements. Edgar Chase IV, also known as Dooky, manages two Dooky Chase restaurants, one near the airport and one in the Treme neighborhood, and described the recent business fluctuations as a roller coaster ride. It was supposed to be a successful weekend for his team, but they had to evacuate instead. He expressed that during these times, his main concern is not about money, but rather about providing comfort to people. He believes that the hospitality industry should prioritize offering solace to those affected.