As cities and beaches along the Gulf Coast try to make an economic rebound from the oil spill, President Obama and his family spend some time in Panama City, Florida this weekend. But businesses and locals alike will be watching to see if a trip just shy of 27 hours long can really make an impact.

The first family will touch down late Saturday morning and be wheels up by mid-afternoon Sunday. It’s a very public bid to inspire Americans to vacation and spend money where reluctance to do so has become the norm since the BP incident.

“This is an opportunity to highlight the notion that this important region of the country is still doing well and open for business,” White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters. “[W]ell down the coast of Florida, communities that never saw oil are being impacted economically. Tourism in Florida and along the Gulf Coast is the economy.”