http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703339304575240313102644330.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlinesThe oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is causing some travelers to alter their plans, say researchers and hotels.
A survey conducted by the Knowland Group May 3 and 4 of 50 hotel properties along the Gulf Coast found that 35% of respondents say the oil spill has prompted potential guests to cancel their reservations. Many of the hotels surveyed said they are concerned that more cancellations and deferred arrivals are in the offing in coming weeks. The Knowland Group is a data-collection company that tracks activity at thousands of hotels world-wide. Of the hotels surveyed, 42% said the spill has hurt their ability to book future events. Sixty-two percent said they are accommodating travelers by not holding groups to a contract clause that prevents them from canceling reservations.
The Holiday Inn Express in Long Beach, Miss., initially had eight cancellations for Memorial Day weekend because of the oil spill but says the vacancies have since been filled.
As oil reached parts of the Louisiana shore last week, federal and state authorities began closing areas to the public. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service closed the Breton National Wildlife Refuge. Among the places barred were the Chandeleur Islands, a chain of barrier islands in the extreme east of the state. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration closed about 5% of Gulf of Mexico waters to fishers. Projections for the oil's trajectory for Thursday show the spill is expected to continue edging closer to the shore.
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