As of today, there is no oil in Panama City Beach. There is no smell, there has not been any tar balls, oil sheen, tar mats, or oil foam reported on the beaches of the Florida Panhandle. Right now, our beaches are just as beautiful as ever. That’s the good news. The bad news is that oil has been reported 10 miles offshore of Pensacola. In fact, quoting the noon report of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, “?Areas of tarballs, tar patties, and sheen have been confirmed approximately 10 miles from the Escambia County shoreline and 6 miles from Navarre Beach.” Again, nothing on the beaches, yet.
If you’ve been watching the news, (which I am sure we all have) you are aware that the top kill efforts to stop the oil from from spilling into the Gulf failed, leaving whole regions fearful of what might happen economically if the spill can’t be contained. The sobering news, however, did not detour crowds from heading to Panama City Beach’s unaffected shores and soaking up sun while lounging on perfectly white, gorgeous beaches. Continue reading “Despite Oil Spill News, Panama City Beach Enjoys Big Memorial Weekend Crowds”→
To show all their customers and potential customers they care, Hidden Dunes condominiums on Thomas Drive in Panama City Beach has taken a very proactive stance in getting the word out that oil is not effecting their beautiful resort or the pristine beaches it lies on. They actually hired us (the CYber SYtes team) to shoot a video of their property and put it on their web site. The point was to emphasize that while the situation in the Gulf of Mexico is very serious, it has not effected us environmentally yet, and actually doesn’t look like it will.
Still, as of today, we have no tar balls or sheen hitting the beaches of Northwest Florida or Panama City Beach. This is great news.
So, the video is great, but really what makes them special is what they are doing to help their customers feel special and assured their vacation investment is protected.
One of the cool efforts of the Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau is that they are in the process of adopting an area-wide plan where if the beaches are closed during a visitor’s stay, the participating resort will offer a $200 travel credit towards a return visit. Hidden Dunes is proud to be supporting this and will indeed offer a $200 travel credit to anyone whose vacation is interrupted by government closed beaches. If the Panama City Beach CVB program has enough buy-in, they’ll spend some money marketing it and making it known across our feeder markets.
One of the best ways to show support for our beautiful beaches is to encourage the city council, county commission and other local organizations to pass a resolution opposing drilling off Florida’s Gulf Coast.
On April 30th, Walton Area Chamber of Commerce did just that and threw its support behind a proposed Constitutional Amendment banning the offshore drilling practices off Florida’s coast, which have the potential to threaten the economy of Northwest Florida. Here’s the resolution in its entirety.
On Tuesday, Mark Bowen, Chief of Emergency Services, accompanied by Lieutenant Caskey of the Coast Guard, met with the TDC and CVB to discuss plans of action in the event that the oil spill hit Panama City Beach’s shores. Chief Bowen answered questions and concerns from the board as well as from audience members in the attempt to reinforce the message that there is no impact on Panama City Beach, we’re open for business and that we are preparing diligently for that day if it comes.
Putting all opinions aside (educated or not =) ), the growing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is a serious concern for Bay County and the beaches of Panama City Beach. Rather than force you to read through this whole post just to find out what you are really wanting to know, I’ll save you a bit of time. More information is below if you want it, otherwise:
As of right now, there IS NO OIL on or near the beaches of Panama City Beach. In addition, as of right now, we are not within the “area of uncertainty” with no expectation of oil hitting our shores – today.
Check after the break for resources on how to track the spill, what Bay County is doing to prepare and what will happen if we do enter the “area of uncertainty”.
If you’ve been worried about what the oil spill could do to our summer economy, this Tuesday the TDC and CVB will discuss a plan of action on how to continue on promoting the area. If gears are switched on any of the original plans, this meeting could have a significant impact on your own summer marketing plans.
AGENDA
COMBINED BOARD MEETING
Bay County Tourist Development Council
Panama City Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc.
Panama City Beach
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
9:00 a.m.
Council Room, Beach City Hall
There will be a meeting today, May 4, at 4:30 PM (previously scheduled at 2:00), at the Okaloosa County School District Administrative Building 120 Lowery Street S.E. in Fort Walton Beach with representatives from the DEP, BP, the US Coast Guard, Okaloosa County, and other officials. This meeting is being held to answer as many of your questions as possible. Please plan to attend for any information you need concerning the oil spill.
PCBDaily 