The BP oil spill is hurting tourism not just in Louisiana but in Florida as well, say tourist officials who are trying to reassure travelers that so far it’s business as usual.
“In my opinion, this is a worse dilemma than four hurricanes in one season,” said Nicki Grossman, president and CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We’re holding our breath.”
Though the spill is more likely to impact Panhandle communities than other areas in Florida, Grossman said she feared some would-be visitors may not understand the difference and avoid the state completely.
The spill has already cost the region millions of dollars as its peak summer tourism approaches.
For many in Florida’s $60 billion tourism industry, the spill is a more frightening version of a hurricane threat, when fears of impending havoc leave hotel rooms empty and beaches barren on picture-perfect days.
The grim novelty of the country’s worst oil spill since 1989 has the Sunshine State’s tourism leaders arguing over the best way to face the crisis and remind vacationers that — at least for the moment — all of Florida’s coastline remains open for business.
"Let’s not jump to conclusions before the event has even happened,” said Andy Newman, spokesman for the Florida Keys tourism bureau. “When I hear messages out there saying the Keys is basically going to be devastated, that’s not appropriate.”
The crisis threatens to rob the Panhandle of a marketing coup as a leading beach arbiter rethinks his short-term affection for the area. Stephen Leatherman, a Florida International University professor best known as “Dr. Beach,” said he may drop a Panhandle location from his annual Top Ten list because of the spill.
“Those are world famous beaches in the Panhandle. They call it the Emerald Coast because the water is green and the sand [is] lily white. It’s arguably the finest whitest sand in the world. Obviously, if the oil hits any of these beaches, they’re not going to be on the list.”
By David Wilkening
