Right now the oil moving inexorably towards our coastline is on everybody’s mind. The media has created the 24-hour news feed, the battle lines have been drawn between BP and the pelicans, and consumers are hanging onto the edges of their seats for the next update.
The consequences of this tragedy, perhaps the largest domestic environmental crises to date, will go on for decades. But what happens when the next great new event pushes the Deepwater Horizon off the front pages? What will be the long-lasting effects to the beachfront tourism industry from Texas to Florida and beyond?
Do you think the issue won’t go away that quickly? When was the last time you were glued to your TV to find out about conditions in Haiti, the Time-Square bomb scare or even health care reform? We Americans have a notoriously short attention span and when the media moves on, we do too.
Of course you know that just because the situation doesn’t make front-page headlines anymore doesn’t mean that everything is better. Far from it. Post earthquake-damaged Haiti is still the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and suffers from every possible ill of poverty, a non-existent infrastructure and aggressively corrupt leadership; it’s just that we’re not so actively involved anymore. Out of sight, out of mind is not just a glib saying; it’s an accurate description of our national attention deficit syndrome.
So maybe the cameras moving on to the next subject will be a good thing for tourism. After all, if pictures of gooey petroleum-soaked seabirds aren’t on our TV screens 24/7, visitors might forget about the oil and rebook their vacations. On the other hand, what happens if oil-fouled beaches are the last things consumers see before the cameras leave and there are no inviting images to change that perception?
As I wrote in my last post, the solution is not to tell people the reasons why they shouldn’t not come but instead to build compelling stories that connect with consumers’ emotions and build desire. I’m still waiting to see those campaigns from the affected destinations. Let’s hope they’re coming soon.
Tags: BP, CNN, Deepwater Horizon, gulf coast, Marketing, Oil spill, Tourism Branding
Hello Bruce, Cajun Country, Louisiana is not only the heart of the culture of Louisiana, but also, the center for the oil drilling activities in the Gulf. With the Federal Government’s Oil drilling Moratorium, we in Lafayette area are getting a double wammy….. No Tourist coming to south Louisiana and no business travelers calling on oil industry. Our Hotel and Hospitality industry cannot endure this too much longer.
The oil issues are complicated…Why do we force companies to drill 5000 feet down when there is oil 500 feet down where any problem can be contain in less than a week instead months…..
Why don’t we run ALL the cars on the road with Natural Gas and therefore cut pollutans and foreign comsumption of gas by half over night….Why don’t we get all of our electricity via Nuclear Plants like pristine France…..Why don’t we use more Solar Panels here in Fla. for residential construction….I do not know except there is a lot of money to be made bypeople in high places pushing technology not yet feasable.
Even the batteries used in electric cars cause more pollution than is told to the masses. Oil is a complicated issue and I sure would love to produce enough at home so we do not have to get from tyrants that want us dead.
We won’t forget. Consumers can handle the 24-hour news cycle. Wait a second…. What coal mining accident? (I’m certainly not intending to make light of the Upper Big Branch disaster that killed a dozen miners in April. But the truth is, Massey Energy has to be relieved that BP kicked it – and the threats of criminal investigations and the company’s safety record – off the front page, and out of our collective conscience…)
Bruce,
I totally agree with the idea of giving reasons to visit. One of my favorite quotes is from Teddy Roosevelt ” Do what you can with what you have where you are ! ”
Onward and upward :
Tom C
Sadly, this is a disaster that will not be easily replaced from the headlines…and justifiably so. We are far from solving the dilemma and the aftereffects will have a lasting impact to the entire gulf. Just look at the still lingering effects of the Exxon Valdez. Hopefully the lessons from that disaster will not go unheeded and BP be made accountable for every cent of damage done to the environment and the livelihood of all effected in the region. Will this disaster eventually be pushed from the front pages? Certainly, but expect it to resurface for years to come.
I would hope that the “affected destinations”, who have yet to produce positive campaigns, are on your contact list.
“Alternative energy, alternative energy, alternative energy”…real estate (location, location, location) is not the only profession with singular message.
As Dr. Ira Leifer (Santa Barbara, CA) stated, today we, urgently, need to enact a ‘safety harness / air bag’
deployment program for any forthcoming disasters such as the seemingly apocalyptic Gulf oil explosion.
As it is, we are being lied to on a daily basis from many sectors, as the situation is clearly worsening;
all attested to by our independent science communities.
We are still choosing to ignore the future ramifications, not only to our U.S. Gulf ecosystem, but to our
entire way of life. We should know by now that many corporations do not ‘live and learn’ but ‘ learn to live-it-up’
largely at the expense of the private sectors.
This episode of carelessness and apathy by greedy oil conglomerates , may well be ‘unforgettable.’
We need to face this sooner or later while dealing with the pugnacious character of companies like BP.
While SCUBA diving in the Caribbean during the antiquated 1980s, I could not help but feel sorrowful for the
coming generations who would more than likely never experience the magnificence of the pristine,
turquoise waters, over-abundant with varied marine life. Since, Jacques Cousteau had proclaimed that he
could no longer ‘save’ the coral reefs of this planet, due to destruction by man, I witnessed his evidence
while swimming up to an already-deceased, gray-ghosted reef. How depressed it seemed, almost sensing
that no ‘man’ cared that it would never return. It is the same not only with the marshes and mangroves
of the Gulf, but its many businesses and any chance of future economic growth.
This event must stay at the forefront of concern by everyone on this planet. We must continue to stimulate
businesses in the Gulf areas as well as the South and up the East Coast. For, this oil will only spread in time.
We will have to evolve to a new mode of recreation and learn to appreciate all that we have.
Bruce,
What a delightful surprise it was to receive your extremely well written and spot on newsletter. Your message resonates for me, and I hope you will keep me on your email list.
Why not setup a volunteer package and provide accommodations with participation in environmental cleanup program. Be it animals, hull cleaning, etc. etc. People do look for that type of vacation if you hook them up correctly.
Hello Bruce,
I am enjoying your thoughtful postings! Just want to call your attention to a possible antidote to what you call our “national attention deficit disorder.” Since there seems to be a disaster du jour these days the constant churning of bad news is endless. Nevertheless, there is a growing number of persons who are using NO-TECH to deal with these crises. Check this out from the Washington Post: http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/undergod/2010/06/a_no-tech_idea_to_heal_the_rupture_in_the_gulf.html
The Feds have not only denied journalist cams from the beaches – they have now closed the airspace above the gulf – all affected areas….
:
Ummmm… wtf? why can’t we show pictures?
_It’s really bad and the gov’t wants to hide it – or
_There is no oil spill. It’s a sham. Brazil now adding customers in Petrobas company with 945 million in Soros money?
Either way, something’s rotten in “Denmark”
Don’t think there is “nothing to see here”
I am happy to have found your site. The information is right on and groovy. Keep up the good work and I will keep coming back to visit.
I wonder if they should come to their senses and stop with the oil. Alternative know-how has already been there to replace it all!
Is BP going to get the oil spill cleaned up before the worst part of hurrican season gets here?
People really need to take a close look at waht is happening to the planet. Please help out by doing more for the environment.
Great post!