Gas prices may trip up tourism

In "Gas prices may trip up tourism: Economists predict an increase in travel but worry high fuel costs could hurt big picture", the Detroit News reports:

"Stephanie Davis is looking forward to summer vacation with her family, but she's also eyeing the gas pumps and the economy in general. 'We'll take at least a small vacation but not necessarily a big one,' said Davis, 37, of Farmington Hills, who has three children. 'We'll probably go up north and maybe to Sandusky (Ohio) and do Cedar Point, but probably not Disney World.'

Tourism officials and economists share Davis' cautious attitude. They predict a slight increase in tourism, Michigan's second-largest industry after autos, but they also worry that if gas prices keep climbing, tourism could fall off. As the region prepares for high-profile events such as the Major League All-Star game in July, some Metro Detroit residents are booking vacations closer to home this year, and local businesses are targeting packages to them. 'Because of the energy prices, a lot of people can't afford that expensive trip,' said Larry Alexander, president and CEO of the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau."

Getting there/Trip distances
Some round-trip distances from Metro Detroit to popular tourist spots include:
• Mackinac Island, 550 miles
• Traverse City, 482 miles
• Saugatuck, 375 miles
• Frankenmuth, 150 miles
• Toronto, 500 miles
• Chicago, 600 miles
Other places to visit, closer to home: The Detroit Zoo, The Henry Ford and Cranbrook Museum.
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I wish that we had access to substantive research and analysis of the tourism industry for Washington DC comparable to that from other places such as Canada, Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia (and also the Nova Scotia Tourism Partnership Council--their great "Tourism Destination Assessment Workbook" is linked on this website under "great publications") and the City of Johannesburg, in South Africa--among others.

Just to make this clear--this is about the business of tourism as opposed to "merely' attracting tourists. By comparison, the Washington Convention and Tourism Corporation doesn't appear to measure up. Making research reports accessible would be a step forward.

(A number of visitor studies from the Smithsonian Institution Office of Policy and Analysis are online. I also wonder about research that might be available from the National Park Service.)