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Pinellas Visitors Chief To Discuss Drilling With House Committee

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By TED JACKOVICS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 9, 2009

The director of Pinellas County's visitors bureau is scheduled to testify before a congressional committee in Washington on Wednesday and deliver the message that drilling along the Gulf Coast could unnecessarily cripple the area's mainstay tourism economy.

D.T. Minich, executive director of Visit St. Petersburg/Clearwater, is scheduled to speak to members of the House Committee on Natural Resources.

"When I testify before Congress …, it's my job to let lawmakers know what's best in the interest of our area and our tourism community," said Minich, who serves on the boards of the U.S. Travel Association and the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association.

"Tourism, not oil, is the No. 1 driver of our economy and our most valuable natural resource is the beach," Minich said in a release.

The hearing Wednesday is the first in a series on offshore drilling, with hearings Feb. 24 and 25 titled "State Perspectives" and "Industrial Perspectives," respectively.

Reporter Ted Jackovics can be reached at (813) 259-7817.

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