Gas prices are lower than last summer
and regional travel experts predict that putting less money in the gas
tank will get travelers on the road, but the rocky economy will keep
them close to home. Already some travel-related businesses are logging
an uptick in reservations and spending.
According to excerpts from the story:
Double-digit unemployment and
cash-strapped consumers do not necessarily spell doom and gloom for
West Michigan's tourism industry, experts say. Drivers are expected to
drop fewer dollars at the gas pump and West Michigan residents on a
tight budget might stick closer to home, choosing Muskegon and other
nearby counties instead of traveling out-of-state or to destinations
like Traverse City, experts say.
"We're 'up
north' enough," said Sam Wendling, director of the Muskegon County
Convention & Visitors Bureau. "We have miles and miles of beaches,
Michigan's Adventure Amusement Park, maritime displays."
Despite
a tough economic climate and consumers who are pinching their pennies a
little tighter than in previous years, tourism officials from Grand
Haven to Whitehall say they're confident 2009 will be a successful
year. They point to gas prices which are up recently but nowhere near
the $4 mark of last July, increased interest in discount travel
packages, and the desire of many residents to escape the stress of the
work place.
Read the complete story here.
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