The parking lots, hotels, and chairs along Pensacola Beach have been mostly empty this summer. Many potential visitors are hesitant to travel to the Gulf coast region for fear of oil-contaminated beaches. Local officials hope a voucher program will help stimulate more tourism in the area and help local businesses rebound from a sluggish summer. Scott Page/Splash! Navarre Beach businesses saw a dramatic increase in business after the Santa Rosa County Tourism Development Council funneled BP dollars into a successful voucher program.

“They are thrilled,” said Kate Wilkes, director of the Santa Rosa TDC said, referring to the Navarre Beach business owners. “They were dead.”

Now, Escambia County is launching its own vacation incentive program, utilizing $700,000 of the BP fund to entice visitors to Pensacola Beach, Pensacola and Perdido Key.

In the Escambia program, a portion of the money is allocated to attract visitors from traditional markets in Atlanta, New Orleans, Birmingham, Huntsville, Baton Rouge and Nashville to entice them to book through the VisitPensacola.com portal and register for the gift card program.

Once they arrive, guests must pay the full amount for their hotel rooms, condos or rental houses, then take the receipt to the nearest Visitor’s Information Center where they will receive a $100 American Express Gift Card for each night of their stay, up to three nights. The money can be used for dinners, deep sea fishing trips, suntan lotion or anything the visitor desires, anywhere the American Express card is accepted.

The setup on the Escambia program is different than in Santa Rosa County, which attracted visitors with a 50 percent discount on occupancy.

Santa Rosa is nearing the end of its voucher program, as the overwhelming response drained the $400,000 allocated to the program designed to promote tourism in Northwest Florida, alleviating and mitigating the public perception of oil stained beaches.

Wilkes says one of the main benefits of the program is that visitors who saw the beautiful beaches go back home to tell friends about their experience.

“That’s the best word of mouth (advertising),” Wilkes said.

The Santa Rosa program was launched August 5 and runs through September 30, and participants got their hotels, condos or rental houses for half off when participating in the program. The program was marketed to the neighboring states in hopes of attracting visitors.

As of press time, the Escambia County program was awaiting the prepaid gift cards before it officially launches the program, but is scheduled to start in mid to late August and run through September 30. Vouchers are good at any Escambia County hotel, condo or vacation rental and apply only to new reservations.

Ed Schroeder, head of the Escambia Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, said the program is open to everyone, but is intended to attract visitors from outside the area.

For more information, visit online at www.visitpensacola. com.