BP Oil Leak Avoids Florida, as Do Tourists Who Think Otherwise

Last month, Erin Duggan received an e-mail from a man in Canada who said he was “devastated” that the beaches of Sarasota, Florida, were polluted with oil and its air full of toxins.

“I had to write him back saying that I’ve been taking my newborn down to the beach every night,” said Duggan, a spokeswoman for the Sarasota Convention & Visitors Bureau. “The perception has been horrible.”