Those people, in turn, need groceries and clothing. They need banks and gas stations and appliance stores. Their children need schools to attend. They need New Orleans.
Some economists have predicted that many lawyers, accountants and other professionals who have been forced to retreat to Baton Rouge, 80km upriver, will stay there even after New Orleans is rebuilt.
But the French Quarter isn't going anywhere. Tourism is a major business in New Orleans, thanks to the city's rich history, unique culture and reputation for naughty good times. With the Quarter and other popular destinations relatively undamaged by the flooding of lower-lying parts of New Orleans, the city still has plenty of appeal.
"I guarantee you that it would cost many times more to abandon the city than to rebuild it," said Laurence Geller, president and CEO of Strategic Hotel Capital.
The company owns the Hyatt Regency New Orleans. The building suffered major damage during the hurricane, but it is well worth repairing, Geller said -- as is the rest of New Orleans.
"I really am an optimist for the future of this city," Geller said.
Tourism brings US$10 billion to New Orleans annually and accounts for about 15 percent of the city's jobs. Because those jobs tend to be relatively low-paying, they are held mostly by the poor minority residents of New Orleans who were disproportionately harmed by Hurricane Katrina.
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