TUSCALOOSA, AL - From Louisiana to Florida, Gulf states are praying for a return of tourists and work, the Miami Herald reports. The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has spawned two problems for the Gulf states: actual oil in the waters and shorelines and the perception that oil is all around.

Louisiana??s marshes have been touched by oil, but most of Florida??s white sands have remained oil-free. "The damage, it has been done," said Mike Foster, vice president of marketing for the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau. "This is both real damage and damage caused by perception. But we??re not soaking and dripping in oil."

"If you??re a traveler sitting in Chicago spending the day watching CNN, frankly your impression might be that oil has covered the entire Gulf Coast," said Geoff Freeman, senior vice president for the U.S. Travel Association. "I don??t think any community can think it won??t be treated differently by travelers because oil has or hasn??t washed ashore. They??re watching the news, but the complexity of the situation is not understood."

Oil on the water??s surface has all but disappeared after BP engineers sealed the well with a containment cap two weeks ago. But while the tourism industry is in crisis mode trying to bring the tourists back, other retailers and businesses are concerned they might not recover from the loss of customers. Possible businesses losses related to the oil spill during the next three years could reach $22.7 billion.

"I ... don??t think we'll see the end of the fallout during our lifetimes," said Dale Julian, who owns a bookstore in Apalachicola, Fla. "It??s a very strange tension between sadness and horror ... and the daily routine of good, strong book sales and cheery people who come every year. ?? People have been on high alert for three months. Frankly, I can't believe we're not going to see negative effects."

"This time of year, on a normal year, we??re running between 75 to 95 percent occupancy levels," said Foster. "We??re running just about 50 percent occupancy right now."