At least one tourism board, VisitFlorida.com, isn't shying away from the threatening oil spill in its social media efforts.
The destination marketing organization is out there on its website and in social media trying to inform the public about the latest oil-related beach developments.
And, it is using Google Maps and Twitter to do its communicating.
High on Visit Florida's homepage is the headline, Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Update, with a purplish exclamation mark, and also a link for updates. It looks like this:
If you read the underlying print, Visit Florida notes that there have been "no confirmed oil sightings associated with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on Florida's shores at this time."
But, then, for techie social media types, things get interesting when you follow the oil-spill update link.
Visit Florida has Google Map-based Twitter feeds -- as well as webcams -- from destinations around the state, providing local updates on beach conditions -- including presumably oil spottings, should they appear.
The map looks like this when you select a destination, such as the Florida Keys, and view the associated Twitter feed.
While some DMOs shy away from controversy because of their governmental ties, Visit Florida's tweet about the Florida Keys notes:
"Tar Balls Found in Keys Not From Transocean/BP Oil Spill http://bit.ly/9zRlJM.
The link takes you to a Florida Keys Facebook page, and from there to an article on the Monroe County Tourist Development Council website, noting that tar balls found in the Lower Keys are not from the Transocean/BP oil spill.
So far so good for Visit Florida and the Monroe County, Fla., board.
These DMOs aren't hiding from the oil spill controversy.
Perhaps they can't afford to.