Within less than a month this spring, the tourism industry was hit with a triple blow of natural and manmade disasters: the Icelandic volcano whose ash disrupted European flight schedules; record flooding in Tennessee that damaged attractions and hotels; and the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that threatens harm to the region’s fishing and cruise industries and its pristine beaches.
The tourism industry responded quickly and aggressively to the bad news.
Tour operators offered assistance to their passengers stranded in Europe and to those in the United States whose long-anticipated tours were delayed or canceled.
Most attractions in Tennessee, especially in the hard-hit Nashville area, were back in operation within a week, and others, such as the “Grand Ole Opry,” quickly made contingency plans.
State and local tourism organizations along the Gulf Coast mobilized to provide information to the media and public about the current status of tourism attractions and destinations in their areas.
Quick Response:
Gulf Coast mobilizes to contain and confront effects from oil spill
