In the spirit of Mardi Gras, I found this article, http://abcnews.go.com/Business/BusinessTravel/story?id=4262856&page=1 .
It talks about how the many festivals that occur around the world are major sources of income for certain cities or countries. Just as the Mardi Gras festival is religiously celebrated in New Orleans, cultures across the world have their own festivities to look forward to, such as Rio Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Oktoberfest in Munich, and The Running of the Bulls in Spain.
Even though New Orleans' Mardi Gras is nowhere near the size it was pre-Katrina, the traditional celebration still brought in an estimated billion dollars. Rio de Janeiro earns over $500 million each year during Rio Carnival, much of which comes from the 700,000+ tourists that poor into the city. The 17-day Oktoberfest gains approximately $1.4 billion as the city of a million caters to the six million visitors.
Tourists do not have to purchase huge, extravagant items to provide these cities with such an added income. Much of the money is earned through the purchase of food and alcohol, along with simple souvenirs. If the city is willing to prepare for and clean up after thousands, even millions of tourists, it will certainly reap the rewards. People will come from miles around to experience a renowned celebration, bringing their money with them.
