New Orleans Named 3rd Happiest Travel Destination in the World by Club Med…Really
Club Med has recently released their "Top 10 Happiest Travel Destinations in the World" and New Orleans takes the Number 3 spot on the list. Oh, a city's crime rate is a major factor used in Club Med's methodology. This is not a joke.
Club Med's Happiest Travel Destinations 2022
Each year, Club Med releases its distinguished list of "The Happiest Travel Destinations in the World" showcasing the best places around the globe to vacation.
Very interestingly, for 2022 New Orleans takes the third spot on the international list.
New Orleans came in at Number 2 on the list of just U.S. cities.
Obviously, New Orleans is one of the most popular party destinations in the world, and that's not even including Mardi Gras.
Under better circumstances, there wouldn't be any question about New Orlean's place on Club Med's list...but currently?
(Editor's Note - Before we go any further, please know I love the city of New Orleans. It's where I was born and where my family is from going back generations. So this isn't meant as a condemnation of New Orleans or the good people living there.)
From clubmed.co.uk -
"When picking your holiday destination, crime and safety levels are also important factors to consider. The lower the crime rate is for a destination, the more at ease you will feel; therefore, you’ll have a happier holiday!"
Before we talk about the obvious, let's look at what cities made Club med's Top 5 on an international level.
1. Bali
2. Las Vegas
3. New Orleans
4. Barcelona
5. Amsterdam
Looking at only U.S. cities, here's how Club Med's "The Happiest Travel Destinations" shakes out.
1. Las Vegas
2. New Orleans
3. Vancouver
4. San Francisco
5. Washington
Club Med says when compiling their annual rankings, they look at a city's crime, safety, and pollution index among other things.
Somehow, New Orleans still landed at Number 3 in the world and Number 2 in the U.S.
New Orleans Crime Rate 2022
Currently, New Orleans' murder rate is pacing to be the highest in the U.S. according to fox8live.com.
As of July 17, 2022 "New Orleans has a per capita year-to-date homicide rate of 72 per 100,000 residents."
We've still got four months left in 2022 for things to calm down in New Orleans and hopefully things will.
There are numerous other statistics on crime in New Orleans right now that honestly are hard to wrangle in a simple, concise way.
The folks over at city-journal.org have done an excellent job of laying it all out though, and you can take a deep dive HERE.
All of this begs the question...how in the heck can New Orleans land so high in Club Med's Top 5 lists of vacation destinations?
Is Mayor Cantrell really to blame for all of the city's crime issues?
Not solely, but things usually start at the top and trickle down.
Couple this with N.O.P.D. staffing issues, a new-ish New Orleans District Attorney who "promised to be 'more selective' in prosecution, and to go 'beyond punishment'" according to city-journal.org, and finger pointing begins to be a bit more exhausting.
You can read more about Club Med's "Happiest Travel Destinations" at clubmed.co.uk.