PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) — Almost a year after a massive oil spill decimated the tourism industry along the Gulf Coast, another oil-related crisis is now threatening the recovery: Gasoline prices are creeping toward $4 a gallon, which could keep travelers from coming back to white-sand beaches that have been scrubbed of BP's oil.
Resorts, restaurants, casinos and charter fishermen say the pricey trips could keep some travelers away, though it could also keep vacationers in the South closer to home. High gas prices could leave many who do make the trip looking for ways to save money — whether it's cutting vacations by a day or skipping restaurant trips.
Ed Schroeder, director of the Pensacola Bay Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, says high gas prices leave travelers with less money for a vacation.
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