Gayle Benson is currently traveling in Rome and Germany for a 10-day trip. During her visit to Rome, she met with members of the Papal Foundation and other business and tourism groups to discuss her vision for investment in New Orleans and the renovation of the St. Louis Cathedral. She had a personal audience with Pope Francis and presented him with a Saints jersey. Additionally, she met with Italian leaders in economic development and tourism to promote business development in Louisiana and New Orleans.
After her time in Rome, Gayle Benson attended Mercedes-Benz global meetings in Stuttgart, Germany. There, she met with Gunther Schmid, the German head of Foreign Trade, as well as the lead staff at the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour, and Tourism. She expressed that the trip has been very productive in promoting investment and tourism for Louisiana.
Gayle Benson stated that there is a lot of excitement among the people she met in Rome who are eager to help with the restoration of the St. Louis Cathedral. In Germany, there is significant interest in investment and business connections with the state of Louisiana. She highlighted the love for NFL football in Germany as a positive factor that could promote connections and opportunities between Louisiana and Germany. Benson emphasized the importance of taking advantage of this unique opportunity to promote the state, encourage business development, and showcase the great tourism industry in Louisiana and New Orleans.
In summary, Gayle Benson’s trip to Rome was focused on discussing investment opportunities for New Orleans’ St. Louis Cathedral while also meeting with Italian leaders to promote business development opportunities within Louisiana. Afterwards, her visit to Stuttgart was centered on promoting investment opportunities through meetings with German officials such as Gunther Schmid from Foreign Trade office.