- Regional Economy
According to different resources, tourism has rebounded in some of the cities along the Gulf of Mexico. That is in part due to more than $117 million that BP set aside for Gulf Coast tourism in 2010. New Orleans, for example experienced a small economic boom the summer after the spill. Hotel occupancy in New Orleans was at 100% occupancy, according to Nola.com.
- Yet, that boom wasnâ€™t widespread or lasting and it didnâ€™t change the circumstances of individuals who earned a living in the seafood industry. Approximately 71% of consumers are still concerned about the safety of consuming Gulf seafood, and 23% reported having reduced their seafood consumption as a result of the oil spill, according to the NAACP report.
- Also, BPâ€™s own figures on diversity suppliers reflect a disparity in opportunities afforded to minority contractors seeking to recover from the disaster, explained Ernest Johnson, NAACPâ€™s State Conference President for Louisiana. Compared to $181 million in small business enterprise contracts awarded overall to address this disaster, reportedly only$7.6m was spent through minority contractors.
One Year Later, Gulf Oil Spill Continues to Impede Gulf Progress
Consequences of the disaster affect jobs, health, and economic recourse