What Does the Oil Spill Mean to Small Businesses?

With close to 1,200 miles of shoreline and 663 miles of beaches, Florida?s small businesses can be severely impacted by the oil spill in Louisiana. Tourism is one of Florida?s three key economic engines and a vital part of our economy, with 74 million visitors in 2009, Florida continues to be the top travel destination in the world. The tourism industry has an economic impact of around $50 billion on Florida?s economy. 500,000 jobs are created in the state by beach tourists.

According to a recent study on the economic impact of beaches to Florida?s tourism, beaches serve as economic engines by attracting out-of-state tourists whose spending creates employment and income for local residents. Impacts of these economic development spread beyond the immediate area of the beach because not all beach-going tourists stay in the immediate beachfront communities. Additionally, businesses in the beachfront communities are supplied by businesses in nearby metropolitan areas (Murley , et.al, Tourism in Paradise: The Economic Impact of Florida Beaches).

The SBDC at USF encourages you to take Pinellas County Economic Development’s Disaster Preparedness Survey. The information gathered will assist the state in determining how to better prepare small businesses for natural disasters. Please make every effort to take this important survey.

More information on the Oil Spill can be found on the Pinellas County Website.

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