This comes from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“At this time, Florida’s more than 1,200 miles of shoreline and 663 miles of beaches are open to normal water and beach activities, and VISIT FLORIDA continues to promote Florida as the number one travel destination in the world,” said Governor Charlie Crist. “Today, the message is that the entire state is open for business, and we invite travelers from around the world to come and enjoy the Sunshine State.”

“If we are going to remain the trusted source, we have to acknowledge that there may be a potential impact to vacationers down the road and help them to find credible information easily,” said President and CEO of VISIT FLORIDA Chris Thompson. “Our responsibility to the Florida travel industry, as well as the traveling public, is to provide them with truthful, transparent, up-to-date information on any event that affects the Sunshine State.”

For more information on opportunities to visit Florida’s coastal communities, please visit www.visitflorida.com. For the most up-to-date information on Florida’s Deepwater Horizon response, as well as health and safety tips, visit www.dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon, follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/FLDEPAlert or contact the Florida Emergency Information Line at 800-342-3557.

Published on Thursday, May 13, 2010