Alabama tourism weathered pandemic better than most states by The Associated Press Last Updated Apr 24, 2021 at 11:14 am EDT MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Tourist spending in Alabama dropped 20% last year at the height of pandemic lockdowns and business closings, but the state fared better than most during the coronavirus crisis, state tourism officials said. A statement from the Alabama Tourism Department said a travel consulting firm found a nationwide decline of 42% in travel expenditures, but Alabama’s decrease wasn’t as bad because spending was robust in Baldwin County, where the beach towns of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach are located. State beaches, which are historically Alabama’s top tourist draw, were shut down early in the pandemic but reopened as the summer travel season was beginning.