WASHINGTON -- United States Senator Mary Landrieu, D-La., today commented on the National Football League's (NFL) announcement that the 2013 Super Bowl will be in New Orleans, La. Sen. Landrieu last month wrote to NFL Senior Vice President of Events Frank Supovitz in support of New Orleans' bid to host the game.

Sen. Landrieu said:

"The NFL's decision to locate the 2013 Super Bowl in New Orleans will not only provide an economic boon to southeast Louisiana, but it will give football fans an opportunity to watch the season's biggest game in one of the nation's most unique cities. The Super Bowl will bring welcome revenue to the New Orleans' tourism industry -- including its hotels and restaurants -- which is still struggling after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the devastating levee breaks that followed. The city's unmatched culture, cuisine and hospitality, along with a new Superdome and fresh hotel inventory, make it the perfect location for the 2013 Super Bowl. I congratulate the city of New Orleans, the New Orleans Saints and the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation on their successful efforts and look forward to Louisiana once again hosting the world's premier sporting event."

In April, Sen. Landrieu wrote to Mr. Supovitz arguing that New Orleans would be the best site for the 2013 Super Bowl. New Orleans last hosted the Super Bowl in 2002.

"New Orleans is a center of culture and tourism that has hosted nine Super Bowls since 1970," Sen. Landrieu wrote last month. "With its world renowned restaurants, hotels, and cultural attractions, New Orleans is the ideal location for the National Football League to present one of the largest events in sports."