Visit Lake Charles Launches Podcast to Inspire Visitation  

Visit Lake Charles launched a destination podcast in late September to create a new avenue for potential visitors to learn about hidden gems, culinary arts, and things to be discovered in Southwest Louisiana with the goal of inspiring visitation and community engagement. 

Louisiana’s Playground is co-hosted by Brady Renard and Anna Strider of Visit Lake Charles. In each episode, Renard and Strider uncover the deeper stories and interesting finds that are not always top-of-mind for visitors to reveal more aspects of the community. The first episode sets the stage for Louisiana’s Playground with Kyle Edmiston, president/CEO of Visit Lake Charles, as the featured guest. Louisiana’s Playground is the first podcast produced by a destination marketing organization in the state of Louisiana.

“The creation of Louisiana’s Playground will generate new avenues to engage visitors and locals in the unique and diverse stories of our community as well as allow Visit Lake Charles to be on the forefront of driving our destination’s story in dynamic ways,” said Timothy Bush, chief marketing officer at Visit Lake Charles.

According to Buzzsprout, more than one third of Americans listen to podcasts regularly, roughly 104 million people, with 80 million Americans or 26% listening to a podcast on a weekly basis. Infinite Dial highlights that U.S. weekly podcast listeners average eight podcasts per week.

“Capitalizing on the mainstream podcast storytelling network allows us to continue to be thought leaders in bringing to light the authentic experiences that Southwest Louisiana has to offer,” said Strider. “We are meeting the potential visitor where they are with exciting and inclusive stories about all things Lake Charles.”

The episodes will cover a wide array of subjects, anything from events to athletics, new developments, the outdoors, arts and culture, music, and attractions. Each episode will have a nod to the food culture of Southwest Louisiana with a special “Envie Eats” tribute to locally owned restaurants.

“Our goal is to generate awareness of what classic and up-and-coming experiences are offered here through fun and authentic storytelling,” said Brady Renard.

The podcast airs every other Wednesday.

Listeners can tune in to the podcast and subscribe to receive notifications of new episodes as they are produced. Log on to VisitLakeCharles.org/Podcast or search “Louisiana’s Playground” everywhere podcasts are found including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.

For more SWLA fun and excitement, grab a copy of the Visit Lake Charles’ Fall/Winter 2022 Digital Inspiration Guide. It’s full of tips on the best activities, entertainment, and restaurants to make your SWLA experience a success. Pick up a copy at the lakefront visitors center, 1205 N Lakeshore Dr., Lake Charles. Request a copy of the publication by mail at www.VisitLakeCharles.org. Or view it online at www.visitlakecharles.org/plan-your-visit/visitor-guide/digital-guide/

To learn more about things to do, see, eat, and experience in Louisiana’s Playground, log onto VisitLakeCharles.org or follow #VisitLakeCharles on social media