NEW ORLEANS, July 25 (UPI) -- A new study says the BP rig disaster has cut into Louisiana's tourism business, but likely not permanently.
The study commissioned by state tourism officials concluded that while 17 percent of the vacationers surveyed said they had canceled summer plans to visit Louisiana, 83 percent said they would consider traveling to the Pelican State.
Pam Breaux of the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism told the (New Orleans) Times-Picayune that public perception of the scope of the oil spill remains a key factor in salvaging the tourism season.
"There are people who think (the oil spill) affects New Orleans and the whole state," Breaux said. "We have to keep studying the perception."
The poll said 39 percent of the respondents believed the spill was not being accurately portrayed in the national media; however 28.2 percent thought the damage was being exaggerated compared to 33.3 percent who believed it was being played down.
BP has already ponied up $15 million to the state to promote tourism in New Orleans and coastal communities.
The department survey was conducted June 18-21, about two months after the well blowout caused crude oil to flow into the Gulf of Mexico. The poll contacted 903 individuals in key Louisiana regional tourist markets from Texas to Florida.
