Lt. governor stumps for St. Mary tourism

Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser made a pitch for St. Mary tourism Tuesday with a stop at the Cajun Coast Visitors and Convention Bureau facility on Martin Luther King Drive in Morgan City.
Nungesser is touring Louisiana to promote the economic benefits of tourism at a time when low oil prices have depressed local economies across the state.
"There's no better time than now to fill those hotel rooms, restaurants and shops," Nungesser said.
Visitors spent $11.5 billion in Louisiana last year, Nungesser said, marking the fourth straight year of growth.
Tourism now employs 226,000 Louisiana people.
"At a time when we can create the jobs in this industry and fill the hotel rooms to promote Louisiana to get more people here, it's an industry we ought to be growing," Nungesser said.