While many ULM students may not consider Monroe a go-to tourist destination, marketing professor Joyce Zhou and Discover Monroe-West Monroe Vice President Sheila Snow are collaborating to correct this misconception. Last week, Snow visited Zhou’s Marketing Behavioral Studies class and introduced students to destination marketing.
Destination marketing focuses on promoting areas, such as Ouachita Parish, to future tourists. As more tourists visit Monroe and West Monroe, local businesses experience economic growth. Snow explained tourism’s impact in the Northeast Louisiana region, where one in four individuals lives in poverty, according to the Louisiana State Legislature.
“Our goal is to really bring money into our community,” Snow said. “People are coming in here, staying in our hotels, visiting restaurants, spending money at attractions and shops. They are putting money into our community, and it’s money that our residents don’t have to spend.”
Snow stated that visitor spending in Monroe increased by over 13% from 2022-2023. Discover Monroe-West Monroe reported that over $285 million flowed into Ouachita Parish thanks to the spike in tourism. Ouachita Parish pours the collected sale taxes back into the community, funding public projects.
The rise in spending led to a boom in the tourism and hospitality sector. Local businesses began hiring more staff to handle the influx of visitors. Snow estimates that hospitality sector careers grew between 8% and 10%.
Discover Monroe-West Monroe is spearheading the campaign to increase tourism in the twin cities. Using social media, Discover Monroe-West Monroe’s marketing team creates digital content that highlights potential tourist destinations. Snow described the strategies of the agency’s marketing campaign as people-driven.
“We have an incredible community here with people who are doing some cool things,” Snow said. “It’s great to get out there and support them.”
Discover Monroe-West Monroe’s latest marketing strategy is to promote local restaurants. The agency arranged for 20 local restaurants to offer meal deals to locals and tourists. Participating restaurants will offer lunch specials from $10-$20 and dinner specials from $25-$50. Restaurant week begins on Sept. 9 and lasts until Sept. 15.
Snow’s speech marks Zhou’s latest partnership with local businesses. The ULM marketing professor frequently partners with local companies to give students real-world experiences. Zhou believes that community outreach tremendously impacts both students and business leaders.

“It is important that the Marketing program invites local business leaders to speak with students,” Zhou said. “These interactions are crucial for bridging the gap between academic learning and professional practice, benefiting both the student’s educational experience and the local business community.”
Zhou hopes students leave her class equipped with the knowledge and skills needed for a successful marketing career. She thinks speakers such as Snow encourage students to be more engaged in the community.
“Community engagement will provide students with experiential opportunities to get to know the local community better,” Zhou said. “The more they know about the community, the more likely they want to help out by offering suggestions and putting their ideas into action.”