As Tropical Storm Gustav approaches, the Gulf Coast's tourism industry is gearing up for the key holiday weekend while keeping a wary eye on the storm and preparing for the mixed bag it may bring next week.The weekend's Southern Decadence gay pride festival, which drew 120,000 people last year, is expected to go on as planned, and Louisiana State University's football team still aims to kick off against Appalachian State in Baton Rouge Saturday.
"As a tourism community at this point, we are operating business as usual," said Kelly Schulz, a spokeswoman for the New Orleans' Convention and Visitors Bureau. "We've not seen any mass cancellations."
A hurricane obviously can damage hotels in its path, but those in surrounding areas can see a boost as relief and construction workers move into the area, said Susquehanna Financial Group analyst Robert LaFleur.
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