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                     Congrès Mondial Acadien '99 brought thousands of Canadians and
                     others of Acadian descent to Terrebonne Parish for a 10-day
                     celebration of a unique heritage.

                     But what was expected to be largest gathering of Acadians since
                     the English began deporting them from Canada 250 years ago didn't
                     translate locally into sold-out hotels every day and bed and
                     breakfasts packed with guests.

                     "We were extremely disappointed," said Audrey Babineaux George,
                     president of the Cajun Bed and Breakfast Association, which
                     represents 40 bed and breakfasts in Terrebonne, Lafourche,
                     Assumption and St. James parishes. George, who works with about
                     200 French tour groups a year and owns Audrey's Li'l Cajun
                     Mansion in Houma, said the association has not had Canadian
                     contacts in the past and was hoping to break into that market
                     during the two-week festival.

                     "We originally did some familiarization with some travel agents from
                     Canada who considered doing bed and breakfast accommodations
                     through us. After we did this and after they came here, for some
                     reason, they chose hotels," she said.

                     While many Congrès family reunions and special events were
                     well-attended, a weak Canadian dollar apparently forced many
                     potential travelers to abandon plans.

                     Most Congrès events in Terrebonne Parish and east of the parish
                     were held last week. This week, the celebration's focus shifts north
                     to Lafayette and to western parishes.

                     George said three busloads of Canadian tourists were supposed
                     arrive Monday, but last week the group canceled its plans.

                     "We were ready for 140 people tonight," she said Monday. "They're
                     not coming."

                     While bed and breakfasts did not experience the boon they were
                     hoping for, some local hotel operators said Congrès festivities did
                     help improve occupancy rates.

                     "We ran about 85 percent for the entire week and had several
                     sellouts during that time, so it was pretty good," said Durel Burke,
                     general manager of the 79-room Fairfield Inn in Houma.

                     Burke said he was expecting more people, however.

                     "The way it was presented in the beginning led us to believe there
                     would be a tremendous amount of people needing hotel rooms," he
                     said. "But, it seemed a lot of people stayed with locals."

                     Hope LeCompte, interim general manager of the 82-room Hampton
                     Inn in Houma, said the hotel was a little better than 50 percent full
                     during the week, on average. 

                     "It was about average," she said. "That's what we figured from
                     Congrès. We did have a lot of travelers that may not have been
                     specifically in town for the events, but when they arrived they did
                     go."

                     Holiday Inn officials said their rooms were around 85 percent full
                     during the week and Ramada Inn officials said they were booked
                     solid over the weekend.

                     "We saw a tremendous amount of people walk through our door and
                     saw license plates from all over the place," said Sharon Alford,
                     executive director of the Terrebonne Parish Tourism Commission.
                     "As far as we're concerned it was quite a success because we had
                     the opportunity to meet our Candian cousins and share our Cajun
                     hospitality with them."

                     George found a silver lining in comparing the local Congrès'
                     festivities with the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition in New Orleans.

                     "The World's Fair wasn't a big tourism success at the time, but
                     tourism went up 600 percent after that," she said. "The tourists that
                     came will go back and talk about our culture and heritage and then
                     they'll come back."

                     For the year, George said local bed and breakfasts have doubled
                     their business due to yearlong FrancoFete festivities, however.

                     There are no official figures yet on how many tourists participated in
                     Congrés events. But, George said, the events will serve the local
                     tourism industry well in the future.

                     "I feel the numbers were not there," she said. "But, I think there was
                     an equal amount of people, about 3,000 of us, who attended
                     Congrés four years ago up there. And these people we did meet
                     personally will be coming back."

                     While official Congrés festivities are over in Terrebonne Parish, the
                     party is just getting started in Lafayette as the celebration starts its
                     second week. George said she plans to attend the Babineaux
                     reunion Saturday in Rayne.

                     "I'm looking forward to seeing my Canadian cousins," she said.

                     Alford said Congrés participants will also continue to visit
                     Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes.

                     "They are still coming," she said. "We had quite a few (Monday)
                     morning. (The event) is still going strong in Lafayette, so there's still
                     a lot of people in the region."

                     With Sunday's closing ceremony in Lafayette looming, Alford said
                     there is no rest for the state's tourism industry, which has already
                     begun planning for the yearlong Louisiana Purchase celebration in
                     2003. 

                     Those events will commemorate the 200th anniversary of the
                     Louisiana territory purchase from France.

                     "As we're winding down (Congrés) and FrancoFete, all the pencils
                     will get sharpened again to begin planning the Louisiana Purchase
                     events," she said.

                     Matt Gresham is a staff writer at The Courier. He can be reached at
                     857-2204 or by e-mail at hdcnews@nytimes.com.