Cities like Orange Beach, Alabama need visitors now more than ever

Today marks 100 days since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded off the coast of Louisiana, making it the worst man made disaster in U.S. history.

Although BP has announced they have capped the oil from leaking, life on the Gulf is far from getting back to normal anytime soon. Many people in states like Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana will be affected by this tragic event for weeks, months and in some cases years.

It is no secret that tourism is down across the board in the Gulf Coast this summer due to the spill and subsequent nonstop negative media attention that has plagued coastal cities for the last few months.

In a news piece yesterday on the blog, we reported how places like Florida are demanding BP pay for more tourism ads to lure in would be visitors to their state. But is that really going to be enough? No one really has that answer right now as this will be something analyzed for years to come.

But here is today’s question. Will YOU be visiting the Gulf Coast anytime soon? Many of these areas are great places to visit even after the summer months. Perhaps take a long weekend trip in the fall or a brief getaway during the winter holidays.

While funding from BP is a must, many people right now are also depending on tourism dollars to keep them afloat.