Gulf Coast Business Rallies From Effects of Oil Spill

Online, July 31, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Destin, FL - Less than two weeks since BP successfully capped the flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, tourism seems to be picking up in Destin, FL. Although this area of the Emerald Coast escaped the majority of the effects from the oil spill, many visitors did not come or postponed their trips to the area due to misconceptions about the reach of the oil.

Chris Thomas, who owns Destin Vacation Boat Rentals in Destin, Florida, says, "It's unfortunate. We were getting all of these calls from customers who had already booked their rentals, in many cases months in advance, and they are asking if the water's still clean, if the air is safe for their children to breathe, and whether or not they should just cancel their vacations altogether." Even though his company only ended up with "less than a dozen" cancellations due to the oil spill, he said the biggest difference was in the amount of new inquiries. In July, typically the busiest month of the year for tourism in Destin, Thomas said inquiries for his business were down as much as sixty percent.

The reservations his business did receive came from people who continued to visit the area, despite the fear of oil. "We had people that wrote to us and said 'The hell with it, we are coming oil or no oil', and when they got here it was beautiful. We started getting bookings once people got into town and could see how beautiful the water still was...Every time we'd get a cancellation, we'd have a new booking."

Thomas knows that not all businesses have fared as well. As the son of a late Destin charter boat captain, he feels for those who are struggling to stay in business, but is hopeful now that the flow of oil has been stopped. "For us, since they capped the well, business has just about returned to normal. We're hoping to see a busier than normal August and September as people that put off their vacations decide it's finally safe for them to come down."