With a slow return of festivals, sun and outdoor attractions, Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes are beginning to see tourists return to the area, officials say. Tourism and travel contribute $54 million to the local economy annually, said Cody Gray, president and CEO of Louisiana Cajun Bayou, Lafourche Parish's tourism agency. During the COVID-19 pandemic, hotel occupancy -- and the taxes it produces for local tourism agencies -- increased, Gray said. But the uptick stemmed from private contracts between oil companies and large hotels, where workers were sent to quarantine prior to going offshore. “We’re taking this very good circumstance from a very bad situation and investing it into tourism and reinvesting into our tourism assets and into our promotions,” Gray said.