New Orleans and Atlantic City have more in common than just being tourist towns that have suffered downturns in the past few years - Atlantic City from competition and the economy, New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina and BP.
They are also both the subject of HBO series.
The series "Treme" has been on HBO for several months now, while "Boardwalk Empire" is just beginning. And if New Orleans' experience in the spotlight is any barometer, Atlantic City should be in for a rush of visitors eager to see the places they are watching on television. A recent travel article attributes an uptick in tourism in New Orleans partly to the HBO series - a series that wasn't nearly as hyped and promoted as "Boardwalk Empire" has been.
The article also glows with reports about how ready New Orleans is for those visitors - the city's tourism areas repaired and repainted from damage, the new restaurants and museums. So A.C., take note: Let's hope a similar article will be written about this area some months from now.
And now, I'll be taking a one-week vacation. Be back soon.
