GULF SHORES (AP) — With the Gulf oil spill hurting tourism on Alabama’s coast, promoters are launching a $1.5 million advertising campaign to tell visitors the state’s beaches are still open.

The campaign announced Wednesday will include two television commercials that will begin airing on about 50 stations across the Southeast and in Texas on Saturday. There will also be print ads and Web sites featuring the TV spots.

Tar balls that could be linked to the spill have been spotted on state beaches, and rental agencies and charter fishing fleets are reporting cancellations by people worried about the oil.

State tourism director Lee Sentell says regulators are watching conditions at the coast, which is responsible for more than one-third of Alabama’s tourism revenues.