Gulf Coast beaches rebound a year after spill

Last summer John Ehrenreich wondered whether his Pensacola Beach go-cart track and parasailing business would make it through the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. But this summer, business has boomed at Bonifay Water Sports, Ehrenreich said as he waited for a parasailing group to return. And he's not the only local businessman with good news. Beach towns from Alabama through the Florida Panhandle have had a strong summer 2011 rebound after a 2010 marred by tar balls, crude oil sheen, and cleanup crews and equipment ruining the views for any would-be sunbathers. "Tourists don't even mention the spill now. They haven't mentioned it really at all in the last six months," said Ehrenreich.Tourism leaders say the post-spill economic bounce is fuelled in part by an influx of BP money that has gone to promote Gulf Coast beaches. Another positive for the string of white sand beaches from Alabama to Florida's Big Bend has been making it through the end of August without any disruptions from tropical storms or hurricanes. While hurricane season isn't over yet, the biggest storm so far this year, Irene, spared the area when it veered farther north.Pensacola Beach bested a June 2008 record for county lodging tax revenues this year by already bringing in $1 million (Dh3.6 million). And county tourism officials said numbers for cars passing through the toll booth entrance to Pensacola Beach this summer are on target to break records. The city of Pensacola also had a record summer tourist season. The National Aviation Museum at the Pensacola Naval Air Station reported its best month ever this July with 140,000 visitors coming to see the collection of historic fighter jets and other displays. Nearby Orange Beach, Alabama, beat a 2007 record for spring tourism. The city said visitors spent $65 million on hotels and other lodging from March to May, a 14 per cent increase from the 2007 record. Orange Beach also had a record May. Perhaps no city had more at stake this summer than Panama City Beach. The Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport opened there in the midst of the oil spill in May 2010. Before the spill, city leaders had planned on a banner year with Southwest Airlines luring new tourists from Baltimore, Houston, Nashville and Orlando. From / Gulf News