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Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism, Lafourche Parish’s destination marketing organization, recently welcomed its new sales and marketing manager, Ian Wallis.
Wallis fills a position that had been vacant since last fall, when Cody Gray was promoted from that role to serve as the tourism office’s President and CEO.
“I spent a great deal of time searching for the perfect candidate for this job. It’s a job I know well, since I recently wore those same shoes,” said Gray. “I was truly impressed by Ian’s experience in the tourism industry and passion for the world of travel promotion. He and I share the same vision and work ethic, and I know he’ll bring tremendous enthusiasm and value to our team and to the parish.”
Wallis was born and raised in New Jersey, which might seem like a completely different world than Lafourche Parish, but he grew up enjoying the water and appreciating the great outdoors … two elements he’ll find plenty of here in Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou. He also relaxes by baking delicious desserts, so he’s eager to get a true taste of the region’s culinary culture.
Wallis attended Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, earning a BS in Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Management and later obtaining his Master’s in Business Administration with a concentration in Hospitality. He began his career in the hotel industry and then worked for two international tour companies, Collette Vacations and Friendly Planet Travel.
“I’m very passionate about the travel and tourism industry, dating back to the first cruise I went on with my parents when I was a kid,” Wallis says. “I’ve been fortunate to visit more than 25 different countries, experiencing a variety of different cultures. I love being able to explore new and exciting destinations and experience what makes those places unique.”
During his undergraduate program, Wallis studied abroad in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and Zambia. He says his favorite destination – so far – is Norway, which he visited in February 2020, just before the pandemic struck. Travel has been limited since then, but he was eager to make the interstate move to Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou so he can write a new chapter of both his career and his own travel adventure.
