Tourism travails: summer fun faces uncertain times

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Tourism travails: summer fun faces uncertain times
By BRUCE SMITH – 1 day ago
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) — The sign outside the Aquarius motelreads: "Spend a night, Not a paycheck," but some Midwest travelershave canceled reservations and other visitors stay fewer nights. Onthe nation's opposite coast, vacationers in Oregon worried about $4gas splurge less on meals and skip the frills on getaways.
Record gas prices have people talking about joining car pools andtrading in gas-guzzling SUVs. Now, as many Americans hit the openroad, an uncertain economy is putting a crimp in summer vacationplans as well.
"For Americans, summer travel is almost a birthright," said BradDean, president and chief executive of the Myrtle Beach AreaChamber of Commerce. "People are still traveling but we are seeinga consistent trend of shorter stays and reduced spending."
The Travel Industry Association projects summer travel will drop1.5 percent from last year, the first decline in four years.
But Americans are still expected to take an estimated 327 millionvacation trips this summer, said Cathy Keefe, a spokeswoman for thetrade group. July and August are peak months for domestic travel,about three-quarters of it by car or truck.
Craig and Kathy Thomas of Dwight, Ill., traveled to the beach on aHarley-Davidson, so gas wasn't a big concern. But they cut back oneating out and visited relatives in Kentucky and Georgia along theway.
"You economize where you can," said Kathy Thomas, a legalsecretary. "We bought groceries that we put in our room so we eatbreakfast and meals there."
Even if they still hold summer travel to be sacred, many people arewaiting longer to make plans.
Gregory Christopher, property manager of the Garden City Inn andnearby Ocean View Inn in Garden City, S.C., said reservations arecoming in at the last minute.
"The American people, any little thing out of the routine thatinterrupts their routine, they hibernate," he said.
Myrtle Beach is the heart of South Carolina's $16 billion tourismindustry. Despite busy weekends, many oceanfront hotels havevacancy signs during the week.
Occupancy during the past six weeks is also down about 4 percentcompared to a year ago, said Taylor Damonte, director of CoastalCarolina University's Brittain Center for Resort Tourism.
The Aquarius suffered cancellations from regulars who visit yearlyfrom Ohio and the Midwest. It now uses midweek specials to reel intourists and some who might have gone to Florida now stop here.
"We've had a few from Virginia and the D.C. area this year who saidthe reason they chose us was it was closer," said Harold Hart,manning the front desk.
The Gay Dolphin Gift Cove, boasting 200,000 items from Myrtle BeachT-shirts to potato guns and personalized kiddie license plates,even has a sticker on the door: "Thank You America for Traveling."
Crowds seem as big as in the past but folks don't seem to bespending as much, said manager Curtis Pryor. Still, he said, peoplewant a vacation, even if it's their only trip of the year.
"God has created an atmosphere here where it is so warm," he said,"that people want to get away and come to the beach."
Francois St. Martin drove 24 hours with his wife, two children andanother couple from Quebec. He's been coming to Myrtle Beach sincechildhood and made reservations a year ago — so there was noquestion about returning.
"But we'll have to look at it next year and if the gas is stillgoing up, we'll have to consider that," he said. "Still, gas isless expensive in the U.S. than Canada."
After growing year after year for decades, South Carolina's tourismindustry is more subdued this season.
At a quaint, oak-shaded cluster of shops in nearby Pawleys Island,business is down at The Original Hammock Shop — a maker ofrope hammocks that are a coastal tradition.
"We still have a bunch of people coming through, but they are notspending as much," manager Darlene Adams said.
Such complaints are heard from shore to shore.
In Newport, on the Oregon coast, gas runs $4.39 a gallon andtravelers are booking rooms only a few days in advance at theEmbarcadero Resort Hotel and Marina, waiting to see if the weatherwill be nice before making the two-hour trek from places likePortland.
"They are holding off," said resort general manager Tracy Wiley."We're seeing it more to the extreme than in the past."
He said occupancy was good, but the resort is running more specialsand other sales are soft.
"We have crab ring rentals and crab boat rentals and betterrestaurant (offerings) ... and we're seeing all those revenuesshrink," he said.
Tourism is not down everywhere.
Upscale hotels in Charleston reported strong business during theSpoleto Festival USA in May.
And another record year is shaping up at the plush Grand HotelMarriott Resort in Point Clear, Ala., overlooking Mobile Bay.
"In your upscale lodging right now, we're not feeling it as much asother people," said David Clark, the hotel's general manager. "Ithink your discretionary income is still there are long as youcontinue to raise the bar with your services."
Still, in good economic times or bad, a beach visit remains atradition for many families.
Happy Montgomery, of Spartanburg, and sister Irene Tzouvelekas, ofGreenville, took their annual trip to Litchfield Beach to rent ahouse with their children and grandchildren.
But instead of bringing five cars including a big van, this yearthey brought three, including a hybrid Honda Fit which "to fill thegas tank slap full only costs $35," Montgomery explained. The clanalso cut down on eating out.
This year she plans to skip her usual trip to Europe but vows neverto do away with the summer getaway.
"You build memories," she said, relaxing on a bench with her sisterat a Myrtle Beach mall. "You build wonderful memories and you builda life that way."