In The News

BP Oil Spill: Florida Tourism Suffers, 4th of July Gloomy in The Sunshine State

Article Source:
LA Travel Examiner
By: Jane Lasky
July 3, 2010
Article Source

July 3, 2010 -- It's Day 76 of the BP oil spill, the Fourth of July is tomorrow and many Florida beaches are nearly empty. Gloomy about the situation, visitors are staying away so, sadly, the lack of tourism is taking a toll on the Sunshine State.

Oily waters and sticky tar balls mean swimming is truly at the person's own risk in some areas, particularly in Northwest Florida. Now ABC is warning that the oily mess could spread beyond the Gulf of Mexico, affecting the eastern Florida coast as well.

According to ABC News:

'Government forecasters now say there's up to an 80 percent change that the massive spill will reach the waters off Miami by the middle of August, caught in the loop current around Florida and then pushed northward up the state's east coast at a rate of 100 miles per day.'

This worst case scenario means devastation to Florida. Official reports say that just on the Gulf side alone, tourism in the state makes up for $12.4 billion of the economy which means employment to the tune of some 269,000 jobs.

A special Oil Spill Economic Recovery Task Force has been set up at www.flgov.com/gulfrecoverytaskforce.

Meanwhile, hotel occupancy rates are low and the expected summer influx of visitors to Florida is threatened. A gloomy 4th of July lies ahead tomorrow as the BP oil spill means The Sunshine State's usually active tourism rate suffers.

More as information becomes available, meanwhile Los Angeles residents wanting to discover the joys of Florida should keep an eye on the situation before making plans. When in doubt, ask your travel agent.