Gulf Coast Leisure and Hospitality Employment and Wages
"The leisure and hospitality industry makes an important contribution to the local economies along the Gulf Coast, providing a large share of their employment. Leisure and hospitality services include a wide variety of activities that attract tourists such as resorts, recreational parks, sporting events, concerts, restaurants, and hotel lodgings.

Not including bays and inland waters, the U.S. Gulf coastline spans approximately 1,631 miles. [1] The U.S. Gulf is bordered by five States (Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas). There are 53 counties and parishes that line the coast in these five States. (See table 2.) These areas are the most vulnerable to damages from the April 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Among these five States, Florida has the largest number of coastal counties at risk (23), followed by Texas (14), Louisiana (11), Mississippi (3), and Alabama (2). The leisure and hospitality industry in these coastal areas could be seriously affected by this recent disaster..."