CODOFIL looks to catalogue French businesses in the state

The Council for the Development of French in Louisiana (CODOFIL) announced a new resource designed to create a searchable bilingual directory listing businesses and attractions across the state that have a French presence.
Oui! Initiative will then make these locations available to French speaking residents of the state as well those from other countries.
The initiative will catalog businesses across sectors and provide information on what available services are in French. Other information will provide contact information for each business as well as a map to its location.
The state’s lieutenant governor Billy Nungesser said “French-speaking countries are some of Louisiana’s most important international markets. When looking at international visitors signing guest books at our Welcome Centers, French visitors top the list. French culture is a big part of the history of our state. While many of our Canadian visitors speak French, there are many people in France who dream of being able to visit Louisiana. We are working to help make that dream easier to become a reality.”
“As CODOFIL continues its efforts to develop and promote the French language in Louisiana, the Oui! Initiative is an important next step,” said CODOFIL Executive Director Peggy Feehan. “With a native French-speaking population, a robust French-language education system, and a rich culture influenced heavily by the language, Louisiana is uniquely positioned to see the benefits of French as an economic asset. This initiative is the first step in realizing that potential: where does it exist already, and how do we make it available to those interested?”