Although the media predicted devastating and long-lasting effects for the Gult Coast after the Deepwater Horizon disaster, Mississippi’s Gulf Coast region is bouncing back faster than expected and damage to wildlife and tourism is far less than experts predicted.
According to Crystal Johnson, director of sales for the Mississippi Gulf Coast CVB, the main business sector affected was the local restaurant industry, since they depended on fresh seafood for a large portion of the menu. But now, six months later, even that has normalized.
"Everything is business as usual," she says. "The restaurants are bouncing back, and we’re getting into a busier season with the holidays."
The region is home to major meetings players such as Beau Rivage Resort & Casino and IP Casino Resort Spa, as well as several others, but none of the meetings properties were affected by the spill.
While the actual damage to the environment was a concern, the media’s constant coverage was more harmful, says Janice Jones, media relations manager for the Mississippi Gulf Coast CVB, which was a sentiment echoed by Beth Carriere, executive director of the Mississippi West Coast/Hancock County Tourism Development Bureau.
"We’re recovering economically from the negative publicity with money from BP, but no meetings were cancelled, and properties were not affected," Carriere says.
With commercial shrimping and some fishing open again in state waters and some federal waters, Crystal Johnson and other regional representatives participated in outreach programs to let visitors know the Gulf is open for business.
"We went to Branson recently, and even took some fresh seafood with us and made dinner for business people and the media in an event to promote tourism between our two airports," she says.
Beaches are open along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and updates on open fishing waters are available at www.gulfcoast.org and www.mswestcoast.org.