If TripAdvisor page view trends equate into tourism dollars won or lost, then Gulf Coast beach destinations haven't recovered from the BP oil spill.
The hotel review site revealed that its New Orleans page views rose substantially in the August to October, 2010, period compared with the same timeframe in 2009, but New Orleans was the exception to the rule.
Beach destinations in Florida and the rest of the Gulf were particularly hard hit, and their page views on TripAdvisor were way down, showing a lack of interest in the region.
The following chart depicts the year-over-year decline in TripAdvisor page views for destinations ranging from Biloxi, Miss., to Fort Meyers Beach in Florida.
"The findings suggest that the region will require long-term support to restore consumers' lost confidence," says TripAdvisor, which after the BP spill offered free marketing support to lodging properties directly impacted by the incident.
TripAdvisor also donated to certain state tourism offices three months of free advertising on TripAdvisor.com.