NEW ORLEANS - A new study says New Orleans has broken a tourism record set before Hurricane Katrina, with nearly 10.5 million visitors in 2016. The record had stood at 10.1 million since 2004, the year before the hurricane struck.

University of New Orleans' Hospitality Research Center says last year's visitors spent $7.41 billion dollars. That's 51 percent more than the amount spent in 2004, and 5.1 percent above the spending record set in 2015.

The study, made for the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau and the New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corp., was released Thursday.

Mayor Mitch Landrieu says in a news release that he's looking forward to 2017 being even bigger.

Two new direct flights to Europe will soon begin: year-round to London and seasonally to Frankfurt, Germany.