Sunshine Matters

Media Coverage Overview – June 23, 2010

KEY TOPICS

Below, highlights include a CNN report on Panama City Beach, a decision by NOAA to stop producing an oil spill trajectory map on its website in connection to the Loop Current, and other industry related headlines. Overall, media coverage continues to report that the oil spill has negatively affected Florida’s tourism industry, environment and economy. 

VISIT FLORIDA PROACTIVE MEDIA ASSISTS

Recently, VISIT FLORIDA’s Communications & PR Department worked with DMO partners in Northwest Florida to assist CNN with a special report on the tourism industry throughout the region.  The media assist resulted in the following report from CNN’s Tom Foreman.

Florida’s tourism industry fights oil, CNN http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iqf1TrpFxII  (In this report: Florida’s Panama City Beach pushes to bring in tourists despite oil disaster setbacks.  An interview with the head of the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau tells CNN that the city is helping tourists protect their reservations with new cancellation policies in addition to ramping up promotion of non-beach area events and additional advertising.)

Within the last 24 hours, the Corporate Communications office conducted interviews or assisted with 6 media inquiries, including USA Today and Bay News 9.  VISIT FLORIDA President & CEO Chris Thompson conducted interviews with Sunshine State News and USA Today.

RECENT BREAKING HEADLINES

South Florida tourism rises in May but rates weaken, South Florida Sun-Sentinel http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/fl-may-smith-travel-20100622,0,6143212.story  (In this report: Article talks about how Broward and Palm Beach counties hosted more tourists in May this year than last year.  There is still some concern for South Florida hotels due to the oil spill as travelers wait to see where the oil is going to go.  South Florida tourism groups are responding to concerns by directing travelers to websites that offer up-to-date information on the spill and to webcams that take live shots of area beaches.)

NOAA: S. Fla.  May escape oil spill, Jacksonville Business Journal http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2010/06/21/daily13.html

CLIA: Monitors Gulf Oil Spill Impact on Cruising, Travel Agent Central http://www.travelagentcentral.com/cruises/clia-monitors-gulf-oil-spill-impact-cruising-22104