Oil spill a wait-and-see for Florida tourism officials

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico could be on the way to South Florida, but tourism has not felt a major impact yet, industry officials say.

?Clearly, we?re very watchful and we?re looking at this on a daily basis, but the epicenter is a long way away,? said Jorge Pesquera, president and CEO of the Palm Beach County Convention & Visitors Bureau. Hotels have not yet reported any cancellations to the Palm Beach County CVB, Pesquera said. While there have been no cancellations reported in Broward County, either, hoteliers are fielding questions from would-be customers, said Nicki Grossman, president and CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau.

?They are getting inquiries, and the only question being asked is: ?Are your beaches open??? Grossman said. ?The answer to that is ?yes.?? The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has said that a portion of the oil slick from the BP PLC oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has reached the Loop Current, which could bring it across the Florida Keys and to South Florida.

 On Thursday, Gov. Charlie Crist added Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach to his list of counties he has declared to be in a state of emergency as a result of the oil spill. But, just how much oil could come here ? and in what concentration ? remains unclear. The main thing now is to reinforce the fact that the beaches are clean, Grossman said.

?The media attention fuels speculation. Perception is far more dangerous than reality right now,? she said. ?Our message is that everything is clear, the beaches are great and we?ve got great summer values.?
 
Grossman said her CVB expects to join with Visit Florida, the state?s official tourism marketing agency, to do a marketing push that will help reinforce the message. BP has pledged $25 million to the state for the marketing effort. Pesquera said his CVB might partner with Visit Florida, too. For the week ended May 15, hotel occupancy across rose throughout South Florida, according to data from Smith Travel Research.
The Greater Miami & The Beaches Hotel Association is advising hotels to be proactive, President and CEO Wendy Kallergis said. The association is advising hotels to start tracking cancellations and bookings, and to thoroughly review their insurance policies in case the worst comes to pass.

?We?re really trying to give them advice on what to do in the event that something were to happen,? Kallergis said. ?The whole thing right now is that we don?t know what?s going to happen.?So far, though, Kallergis said she has not heard of any oil-related cancellations. That?s good news for the industry considering the upcoming Memorial Day weekend. ?The hotels are booked right now,? she said. ?Let?s hope that?s the way it stays.?
 
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