Welcome center features unveiled

Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne’s visit Monday evening to the Cajun Coast Visitors and Convention Bureau Welcome and Interpretative Center in Morgan City for National Tourism Week also marked the unveiling of the interpretative pods and Cypress tree diorama inside the building.
The interpretative component of the center was created to teach visitors about the history, nature, events and attractions in St. Mary Parish while showcasing the beauty and culture of south Louisiana, Cajun Coast Board Chairwoman Kim Walden said.
Marketechs Design Studio in Pennsylvania constructed the interpretative pods, and Dixon Studios in Arizona, who also designs for Bass Pro Shops, created the cypress tree diorama, according to a Cajun Coast news release.
Tree branches used in the diorama are some of the same ones cut down in the lot by Morgan City Junior High School, the release said. Dixon Studios treated and prepared the branches for installation, the release said.
Cajun Coast officials worked hard to make sure the interpretative component of the center was completed for Darddenne’s trip to the center, Cajun Coast Executive Director Carrie Stansbury said.
“Wow! This place is unbelievable,” Dardenne said of his first visit to the center. “I know it’s been a long time in coming. And I know you’re all delighted that it’s here.”
Officials held a grand opening for the center Aug. 20, 2014.
On June 14, 2012, the building collapsed and sank 4.5 feet, just a month before the scheduled completion date.
Expert House Movers raised the building back to its original height in May 2013.
Dardenne called the building one of the most beautiful tourism centers in the country.
The lieutenant governor will travel across the state this week as part of tourism week.
In 2014, 28.7 million people visited Louisiana, the most in the state’s history and 1 million greater than the 2013 visits, marking the third consecutive year of increasing tourists to the state, he said.
Those 2014 visitors spent $11.2 billion in Louisiana and contributed $836 million in state sales taxes, Dardenne said.
Also in 2014, travelers in St. Mary Parish generated $159.5 million in spending, supported 1,690 jobs and $33.8 million in payroll and generated $4.54 million in state taxes and $2.71 million in local taxes, according to a news release.
Dardenne, who is running for governor, hopes to be able to support tourism at a greater level in that position, he said.
Though the lieutenant governor’s office has fewer employees and much less money than when he took office in 2010, the state is still setting tourism records, he said.
“It’s the one area of government that actually makes money for the people of Louisiana,” Dardenne said.
The state tourism industry has a 38-to-1 return on investment for money the state spends to promote tourism, Dardenne said.
Speaking about tourist attractions in St. Mary Parish, Dardenne said lots of opportunities exist at Lake End Park and Parkway in Morgan City with the cabins there and RV accessibility at the park, he said.
“I hope that’s going to become an even more exciting place,” Dardenne said.
The Shrimp and Petroleum Festival, held on Labor Day weekend, is always a “huge, huge event,” Dardenne said.
He called it “one of the oldest and one of the best festivals in the state.”
Dardenne referenced the Louisiana State Museum – Patterson as another “treasure.” State leaders are trying to keep funds available for all the state’s museums in order to keep them open, he said.
St. Mary Parish is an extremely marketable area with its beautiful marshes and swamp land, he said.
Efforts to save Louisiana’s coast and to promote the swamps and Atchafalaya Basin are extremely important, Dardenne said.
During Monday’s event, the Louisiana Ornithological Society presented its President’s Award to Stansbury for her efforts to create the Eagle Expo and More, which has attracted birding enthusiasts from throughout North America, said Martin Guidry, Louisiana Ornithological Society awards committee chairman.
Stansbury also presented certificates on behalf of the U.S. Gulf Coast States Geotourism Stewardship Council “for contributions to the program and commitment to the unique character of the region,” a news release stated. The U.S. Gulf States Geotourism Program is a National Geographic Initiative in which Cajun Coast participates.
The welcome and interpretative center is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

This story was written by Zachary Fitzgerald of The Daily Review staff. Reach him at zfitzgerald@daily-review.com.