Stigma Without the Sheen
An unintended consequence of the media blitz to cover the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 was the lasting impact on tourism in the region, even as beaches stayed clean and marine habitats recovered. Taking a trip through gulf states a few months after the oil spill, I met with business owners who rely on heavy tourism in the summer to get them through the year. Even without the presence of oil on the water or covering the white sand beaches, the stigma of the oil spill hung heavily on these coastal communities.