Pinellas County is set to receive $500,000 from BP due to the linger effects of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
According to county documents, the grant money will go to the Convention and Visitor's Bureau so it can "conduct two major programs: to dispel negative Gulf seafood impression and generate tourism to Pinellas County."
"While tourism has rebounded in the two years since the 'Deepwater Horizon' oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010, the local seafood industry has not. Despite repeated statements from scientists that Gulf of Mexico seafood is safe to eat, the perception still persists that Gulf seafood is tainted."
The two programs the CVB will be promoting with marketing dollars are The St. Petersburg & the Bay Area Food and Wine Festival and the "Emeril's Florida" TV show.
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