BP Oil Spill Impact on Gulf Travel Likely to Last 3 Years and Cost $22.7 Billion

/PRNewswire/ -- Based on a landmark analysis of 25 recent natural and manmade disasters, Oxford Economics today projected that the effects of the BP oil spill on travel to the Gulf Coast are likely to last up to three years and cost the region $22.7 billion. An aggressive and comprehensive $500 million effort to attract visitors to the Gulf Coast could reduce the total economic impact by $7.5 billion.

"History and current trends indicate a potential $22.7 billion economic loss to the travel economies of the Gulf Coast states over the next three years," said Adam Sacks, managing director of Oxford Economics USA. "One of the most cost-effective ways to mitigate these damages is to immediately fund strategic marketing to counter misperceptions and encourage travel to the region."

"Travel is a perception business and the impact of disasters like the BP oil spill on the industry is actually predictable," said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. "We know from this research that the oil spill will have long-term effects on businesses and jobs in the Gulf Coast region unless we counteract the usual course of events with an unprecedented response."

In an effort to save the coastal region's 400,000 travel industry jobs, the U.S. Travel Association complemented the release of the Oxford Economics study with a "Roadmap to Recovery," a 10-point plan for government to help communities in crisis by implementing specific action steps that inform public perceptions, incentivize travel to an affected area and make impacted businesses whole. Specific proposals for the federal government include:

-- Create a $500 million marketing program, funded by BP, to share
accurate information on the oil spill and attract visitors to the
region;
-- Develop a "one-stop shop" online portal where consumers can obtain
up-to-the-minute information about which areas are safe and open for
travel and business;
-- Provide tax deductions in a disaster-affected area to give travelers
added incentive to travel to and do business in that region; and
-- Intervene to provide increased access to capital, low interest loans
and tax incentives that allow businesses to remain open and retain
employees.


"We call on the federal government to immediately secure the $500 million necessary to operate an effective marketing program and prevent billions of dollars in economic harm to the Gulf Coast," said Dow. "It is not too late to save Gulf Coast jobs and keep attracting the visitors that can prevent further damage to these vital American communities."

All materials related to this announcement are available online at www.ustravel.org.

The U.S. Travel Association is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the $704 billion travel industry. U.S. Travel's mission is to increase travel to and within the United States. For more information, visit www.ustravel.org. Follow us on Twitter @ustravelpr.

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Travellers to Mexico so far Undeterred by Swine Flu Outbreak

/PRNewswire/ -- Data from leading flight search company Skyscanner (http://www.Skyscanner.net) shows that travellers planning trips to Mexico have so far been undeterred by the outbreak of swine flu influenza announced by Mexico's Federal Health Ministry on the 22nd April.

"Dire predictions have already been made about the impact that this will have on tourism, but the number of Skyscanner users searching for flights to Mexico has remained stable in the days since news emerged of the outbreak," said Skyscanner director and co-founder Barry Smith.

"We would have expected to see some negative impact by now, but it may be that travellers are reassured by the fact that the outbreak is largely concentrated in Mexico City - a two hour flight from the coastal resorts - and by the fact that the Foreign Office, World Health Organisation and the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention have not yet made recommendations that people stay away. We'll get a clearer picture in the next few days as the news spreads and the implications for travellers are fully understood."

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