New Orleans Citizen Diplomacy Council (NOCDC) facilitates professional and personal contacts with International leaders while in the New Orleans Area.

FAQs about Hosting our International Visitors

What is hosting a visitor?
The term “hosting” means bringing a visitor to your home for dinner, which allows the international visitor to join in the “American Experience.”

The dinner can be as simple as one of New Orleans' favorite meals, red beans and rice, or as gourmet as you would like.

Remember, the point is to share a part of your life with the visitor, whatever your lifestyle may be. The only requirement is that hosts pick-up visitors from their hotel and bring them back after dinner.

Here are additional commonly asked questions:

What are the benefits of hosting visitors?
Hosting visitors exposes you and your family to world cultures, customs and outside perceptions of the United States. Lasting friendships and business contacts often form. It is not uncommon for our members to be reunited with a former international visitor in their home country.

Is this a daily occurrence?
NO! You may be called one or two times a year or as much as you like. Refer to the Upcoming Visitors page of our web site and contact us if there is a particular visitor that you would like to meet.

When would I do this?
Dinnertime is the most common. Occasionally, members will meet a visitor for breakfast, lunch or Sunday brunch.

Must I house a visitor?
NO! Visitors and their U.S. Department of State interpreters and English Language Officers stay in our area hotels. However, some prefer home stays, so let us know if you are interested in housing an international visitor.

Must I speak a foreign language?
NO! If you do, that's great; but if you don't, you will be given either English-speaking visitors or those accompanied by U.S. Department of State interpreters.

Where are the visitors from?
Our visitors are from all over the world. In 2007, 124 countries were represented in New Orleans.

If you have more questions, please call.