| No matter how available cheap airplane tickets are | | | | disaster, but some of the loss is replaced by |
| or discount hotel rooms, concern over whether | | | | those coming to the communities to help in the |
| there may be oil on beaches is negatively | | | | recovery. |
| impacting hotel bookings in the Florida Panhandle. | | | | Hotels are complaining that there is no evidence |
| Reservations are down anywhere between 30 to | | | | of any oil on their beaches and pointing out that |
| 50 percent compared to last year. | | | | charter fishing boats are successfully continuing |
| Ironically except for three beaches in Louisiana, all | | | | their operations, but the perception is that there is |
| of the Gulf's beaches are open, safe and clean. | | | | oil on Gulf beaches. |
| President Obama commented last week that | | | | To try to assuage unwarranted concerns about oil |
| "Americans can help by continuing to visit the | | | | problems, many hotels have changed their |
| communities and beaches of the Gulf Coast." The | | | | cancellation policies or offered to refund room |
| travel business is hurt during any publicized natural | | | | rates if guests see any oil on the beach. |