BP

(Dive Travel Business News - August 10, 2010) -- A recent study by online travel company Travelocity reports that the misperceptions about the Deep Horizon Oil Spill on Gulf Coast travel plans may take far longer for the travel industry to fix by press releases alone.

There has been progress in stopping the leak in the Gulf since the well was capped several weeks ago:  The outflow of oil appears to have stopped and the process of permanently sealing the well may be complete with the next ten days.

Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and northwest Florida have all experienced oiled shorelines. Beaches have been cleaned up and are monitored daily. The vast majority of beaches is now open to the public.

Current  projections by scientists in the field indicate it is very unlikely that the Western Gulf Coast, South Florida, the Florida Keys, and the East Coast will experience any effects from the remaining oil on the surface of the Gulf. 

However, the online travel agency's recently conducted poll of over 2,000 Americans found that many travelers believe the oil has spread far beyond its actual reach. read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - July 13, 2010) --  The BP oil spill off the coast of Louisana in April has caused Florida's hotels to ramp up the advertising of their white-sand beaches. And now hotels along the Gulf Coast are trying to ease the worries of travelers skittish about putting their vacation dollars down on a potentially greasy beach by offering an "Oil Free Guarantee".

Some hotels are easing booking policies by waiving cancellation charges if the property is subject to an "oil event', others are guaranteeing full refunds for prepaid reservations if the guests cannot use the beach and many are waiving early departure charges should the oil spill affect a guest's stay.

Check the fine print though. For instance, Marriott is offering refunds if there's "an official beach closure" by government authorities while Hilton Worldwide will give guests a full refund if their stay was "in any way affected by the Gulf oil spill." Hilton's offer includes those who are uneasy about coming regardless of whether oil has washed up on the beach. read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - June 4, 2010) -- The April 20, 2010 explosion and oil spill on the British Petroleum Oil Drill Platform Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico has caused concern for the diving industry, specifically in regions around the Gulf.

The extent of the environmental damage is not yet known, but in anticipation of damage occurring to the coastal areas and the potential for extensive economic damages concerning the diving industry, the Diving Equipment & Marketing Association (DEMA) has put together an Oil Spill Assistance Planner to help dive businesses impacted by the spill to connect to contacts that can assist them. The Oil Spill Assistance Planner is available by clicking here. read more »