24/7 FOR THE GULF COAST: Florida's tourism advocate

Carol Dover is working around the clock to right Florida’s overturned tourism ship.

Before the collapse of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, the state’s vacation industry was looking forward to the spring and summer seasons of 2010.

Since the economic downturn has weighed heavy on the American ability to afford or justify beach vacations the last couple of years, 2010 was foreseen as an opportunity for an industry rebound.

Instead, the year has turned into the worst in recent memory, and Dover is doing everything in her power to make things whole.

As the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association’s president, Dover has continued to court BP and their financial responsibility to the Gulf Coast.

“We wanted BP gas cards and hotel vouchers to give out,” she said. “They would help bring our hotels back up to their normal rates, but we haven’t heard anything back. So now we’re trying to come up with new, creative options.”

Now, Dover and the rest of the association are focusing much of their attention on the fall season. They are working to gain funding to market autumn as an undiscovered time of year and a new option for Florida travel. They are hoping that a successful campaign can fill the void that the spring and summer have left.

“We want to give great value to get people down to the most beautiful beaches,” Dover said. “People don’t realize how beautiful it is in the Panhandle in the fall.”

For more information, visit frla.org.

“There’s not a more beautiful time to visit Northwest Florida than September and October,” she said.