Oil Tourism

May 6, 2010

The summer season usually brings waves of tourists to Florida’s beaches, but the Gulf oil spill could send those waves of visitors somewhere else. The BP oil spill on the Gulf of Mexico is expected to have serious environmental impact, but University of Florida experts say it could also seriously hurt Florida’s tourist-driven economy, still recovering from the recession.

Stephen Holland/UF tourism researcher: “If a substantial proportion of the beaches on the Gulf coast were to be essentially closed to swimming because of oil sludge impact, I think it would have a noticeable effect on the state economy. “

Experts estimate that if beaches close for just a month, the state could take a 50 to 100 million-dollar loss in tourist revenue. And while Florida may offer other sources of recreation, like Disney World, it may not be enough to combat the loss of revenue from the beach tourists.

Stephen Holland/UF tourism researcher: “The theme parks and other attractions in the state are significant contributors, but beaches and parks are a significant part and studies that I’ve seen indicate that approximately half the tourists in the state do visit a beach on their trip.”

Some scenarios suggest the oil flow could affect not just the Gulf coast, but might spread to the Atlantic coast as well.