Study finds tourism earns more money than oil
Gulf area travel promoters who think they have to choose between oil and tourism might consider a new study: Tourism and fishing bring in more revenues to the US than drilling.
So says Environment America.
“Both tourism and fishing bring US$204 billion annually to areas along the Pacific, Atlantic and Florida Gulf shores, which is about four times as much as oil and gas produce each year in the Gulf,” the study says.
That is where most of the nation’s oil drilling is done.
The coastal counties along the Mid-and South-Atlantic earn $33.5 billion annually from tourism, and $10.26 billion from commercial and recreational fishing. And offshore oil only accounts for $4.1 billion a year, based on government estimates of the recoverable reserves over a 25-year production cycle.
Along the Pacific Coast, tourism generates $61.98 billion, fishing $3.98 billion and oil $34.2 billion. On Florida’s West Coast, tourism earns $25.4 billion annually, fishing represents $14.07 billion, and oil and gas in the eastern section of the Gulf of Mexico makes $11.3 billion. With other coastal areas included, the total comes to $204 billion for the tourism and fishing industries versus $55 billion for oil and gas.
After the BP oil spill, at least $7.6 billion was lost in tourism revenue.
By David Wilkening
David
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Global tourism exceeds 1.5 billion travelers announces UN-Tourism
Qatar Airways offers reduced timetable to over 60 destinations
WTTC global tourism reached record economic impact of 11 trillion in 2025
Hands In, UATP join forces for airline multi-card payments
Overseas travelers to the United States declined by 2.5% in 2025