Despite bad press over the threat of oil soaked beaches, Florida tourism numbers were up for the second quarter of 2010, the state’s tourism marketing agency reported Monday although the good news was uneven.
Despite wall-to-wall cable news coverage of oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico, 20.8 million tourists came to Florida for a visit in the three months ending June 30, during which time tar balls and other oily debris washed ashore on some Panhandle beaches.
Visitors did stay away from many Panhandle destinations, but it doesn’t seem to have affected many other areas of the state. Gulf beaches in central and southwest Florida were never touched by the oil, and the Atlantic coast was spared as well.
Even as BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig released millions of gallons of oil, 18.3 million U.S. residents and 2.5 million tourists from overseas and Canada flocked to Florida, a procession that state officials credit to an improving economy and efforts by Gov. Charlie Crist and others to get the word out that Florida’s beaches remain open.
Trips to Florida from U.S. residents were up 2.4 percent from the same period in 2009. Overseas tourism was up 11.9 percent while the Canadian travel markets improved by 10.4 percent for the period.
In the Panhandle, it was not such good news. Business owners, especially charter boat captains and other small business owners, saw summer sales take a nose dive. And while many hotels were booked with relief workers and other clean-up support, the tourism-dominated region took a hit.
“Florida as a whole showed an increase in visitors for the second quarter, we know that tourism businesses in oil-impacted parts of the state have suffered economically,” said Chris Thompson, president and CEO of Visit Florida.
“There can be little doubt that without Gov. Crist’s intense focus and our aggressive tourism marketing efforts during May and June the Sunshine State could easily have been looking at a very different outcome.”
In May, BP agreed to give Florida $25 million to pay for an advertising campaign promising that the state’s beaches remained open and fishing was still an option.
The cash was in addition to $25 million the company had already pledged to help offset the state’s costs in preparing coastal regions for a possible landfall of the oil.
Crist and other officials crisscrossed the Gulf Coast, telling who ever would listen that most of Florida’s beaches were open and oil free.
Visit Florida chairman Ed Fouche remained cautious, saying he hopes that the graphic images of oil recovery efforts won’t leave a black mark on the state’s $60 billion tourism industry. More money would help make sure that doesn’t happen.
“As response and recovery efforts are winding down, the industry remains concerned about public mis-perception and recognizes that the same level of resources may be needed to ensure travelers know that Florida’s beaches are clean, clear and open for business,” Fouche said in a statement.
By Michael Peltier
The News Service of Florida
