Mississippi Hospitality & Restaurant Association President Scott Weinberg, at far right in photo, was among the business owners and lawmakers who met with President Obama Monday in Gulfport, Miss.Weinberg, who owns the Blow Fly Inn restaurant, told Obama how Mississippi restaurant sales have fallen as a result of negative publicity from the BP oil spill. Although Mississippi beaches haven’t been hit by oil, businesses have become collateral damage from the publicity, says Mike Cashion, MHRA executive director.
Restaurant sales are down 15 percent to 30 percent, and hotels have had mass cancellations, Cashion says. So the association is working with community leaders to get the word out that its beaches are safe. A public relations campaign is trying to recover some lost business by targeting travelers who are close enough to drive into Mississippi for last-minute trips.
Restaurant associations from other states along the Gulf of Mexico also are working on behalf of their members as effects of the BP oil spill evolve. State restaurant association leaders from Louisiana, Florida and Alabama are providing continuous information about the oil spill to members.
The restaurant associations also are speaking out in national media interviews about the spill’s effect on the hospitality industry.
In Florida, hotel occupancy rates were down 30 percent in May, restaurant tables empty, and charter boats remained in port, reports Carol Dover, president and CEO, Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association.
Florida’s tourism industry brings in $60.9 billion in travel spending and $3.65 billion in sales tax and employs almost 1 million people.
“As one of the state’s largest economic engines, it was critical our industry step up
to the plate to immediately counter misinformation,” Dover says.
Dover has led hospitality and tourism briefings in Pensacola and Key West and
met with Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and local tourism leaders to reassure potential
domestic and foreign visitors.
The Louisiana Restaurant Association is working on its members’ behalf to reassure the dining public about the safety of the state’s seafood. The state association is working with regulatory agencies to ensure that all food that reaches Louisiana restaurants is safe. It also formed a coalition with the Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board, New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau and local chefs to address safety questions.
The Alabama Restaurant Association offers resources on the oil spill, and the Mississippi Hospitality & Restaurant Association is helping members get the word out that the state’s beaches are open for business.
Restaurant associations from other states along the Gulf of Mexico also are working on behalf of their members as effects of the BP oil spill evolve. State restaurant association leaders from Louisiana, Florida and Alabama are providing continuous information about the oil spill to members.
The restaurant associations also are speaking out in national media interviews about the spill’s effect on the hospitality industry.
In Florida, hotel occupancy rates were down 30 percent in May, restaurant tables empty, and charter boats remained in port, reports Carol Dover, president and CEO, Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association.
Florida’s tourism industry brings in $60.9 billion in travel spending and $3.65 billion in sales tax and employs almost 1 million people.
“As one of the state’s largest economic engines, it was critical our industry step up
to the plate to immediately counter misinformation,” Dover says.
Dover has led hospitality and tourism briefings in Pensacola and Key West and
met with Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and local tourism leaders to reassure potential
domestic and foreign visitors.
The Louisiana Restaurant Association is working on its members’ behalf to reassure the dining public about the safety of the state’s seafood. The state association is working with regulatory agencies to ensure that all food that reaches Louisiana restaurants is safe. It also formed a coalition with the Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board, New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau and local chefs to address safety questions.
The Alabama Restaurant Association offers resources on the oil spill, and the Mississippi Hospitality & Restaurant Association is helping members get the word out that the state’s beaches are open for business.
