By Alabama Public Radio
Atlanta, GA – Gulf Coast states are working to change their image as the summer travel season starts.
The Southeast Tourism Society recently received a $500,000 grant from the federal Department of Commerce to establish a tourism campaign for Gulf Coast states.
Tourism Society President Bill Hardman says the campaign will include radio, print and television ads and will accentuate the positive things that are happening on the Gulf Coast.
Hardman says Hurricane Katrina left a bad image in the minds of potential tourists, and he says that image often does not fit reality. Hardman says many people depend too much on images they've seen during hours of television footage of the August storm's impact on Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi.