As the Deepwater Horizon oil spill neared Alabama’s Gulf Coast, the area faced not only the spill but also alarming headlines depicting a catastrophe, but the headlines magically disappeared from the front pages, evidence that it could have been a lot worse.
Encouraging Alabamans to enjoy the beaches, Gov. Bob Riley announced June 11, "Our beaches are open. There are precautionary swimming advisories, but the state’s beaches are open right now and that’s a message we’re working to get out."
With $15 million from BP, the state launched a summer-long advertising campaign promoting destinations from Orange Beach and Gulf Shores to Dauphin Island and Bayou La Batre, two coastal communities promoted by the Mobile Bay CVB.
Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism, the Gulf’s CVB, took advantage of social media, including issuing a daily report, now three times a week, on Youtube and available on the CVB’s website.
As one fan who stayed a week put it on Facebook in late June, "The beaches were beautiful, sugary white sand with no oil or tar. Nice folks, amazing food."
"We are recovering, absolutely, although many have the image that we’re covered in oil," says Mike Foster, the CVB’s vice president, marketing. "We’re poised for a great recovery next year. People were in the water all the time and have been eating seafood."
Cleaning work, winding down at press time, however, still continued along certain parts of the coast.
"We had some groups cancel, and groups are not booking as far ahead, but some increased their attendance," says Beth Gendler, CVB sales director, who adds that the bureau is expanding its sales efforts, looking to new group markets farther away in Texas and Arkansas.
Surprisingly, meeting and convention business for the first eight months of 2010 show growth: attendees were up 35.9 percent over the 2009 period, and the 281 events serviced were up 39.1 percent.
To boost business, the "Concerts for the Coast," a free-admission series, was created and funded with BP money. It kicked off with Jimmy Buffett filling The Wharf’s 10,000-seat amphitheater in July, and other performers that have graced the coast as part of the series include Hank Williams Jr., Bon Jovi, Brad Paisley and Alan Jackson.
In Mobile Bay, it has been "business as usual," according to Stacy Hamilton, vice president, marketing for the Mobile Bay CVB.
"Our biggest challenge has been perception, but we’ve had a great year," she says, adding that only one group—an early summer fishing tournament—cancelled but was rebooked for next year.
In South Mobile County, the city of Bayou La Batre and the town of Dauphin Island have created a website, www.alabamacoast.org, for oil recovery updates.