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June 30, 2006
By Nick Martin
USA TODAY
Sylvia Outlaw had a nice summer vacation planned, a trip to Michigan by car from her hometown in North Carolina so that she could see her new great granddaughter.
Now she's staying home with her husband after seeing something much less appealing: the price of gasoline.
Publication info
This story originally ran June 30, 2006 in USA Today.
"We're grounded," she says.
The price of gas is changing the way many Americans think about summer vacation. It's also changing the way that businesses try to woo budget-conscious drivers back to the highways. About one-third of Americans polled by USA TODAY/Gallup say that their vacation plans have been changed by high gas prices, and of those, 26% have canceled trips altogether.
Hundreds of hotels, bed and breakfasts and even amusement parks are offering customers a tank or two of gas with the purchase of a few nights' stay or admission.
Some hoteliers are promoting "one-tank" getaways — destinations that would cost just one tank of gas to get there — or advertising locally to attract travelers who plan trips closer to home. The Rabbit Hill Inn, a bed and breakfast in Lower Waterford, Vt., is offering discounts to guests who carpool there.
"I think anybody who is a savvy marketer is going to try to appeal most to what matters to the customer," says Marti Mayne, spokeswoman for www.BedandBreakfast.com, a website where travelers can book reservations at bed and breakfasts. "And right now, gas prices are No. 1 in the news."
More than 200 lodges have posted gas-related special offers on the site, Mayne says.
Six Flags, which runs 30 theme parks in North America, recently offered $15 discounts to patrons who provide proof of a gas purchase. The promotion got a lot of response, so much so the parks extended the offer for another month.
Best Western, the world's largest hotel chain, is giving away $50 gas cards with a three-night stay at participating hotels.
There are still plenty who say the problem runs deeper than gas vouchers and discounts. Some families are skipping expensive meals, staying with relatives and driving shorter distances.
"Gas has just cut into my family budget so much, it's ridiculous," says Curtis Belton of South Portland, Maine, who will be taking day trips around the state with his wife and two sons instead of taking them to Florida.
On Thursday, the average price for a regular unleaded gallon of gas was $2.87, according to AAA.
Marie Montgomery, spokeswoman for AAA in Los Angeles, says the organization projects travel will be up slightly this 4th of July.
She says higher gas prices haven't caused people to stop driving but have caused them to adjust their travel plans, scaling back trips and becoming more careful in planning for expenses.
"Most of our members, when they come in and talk about travel, they're looking for a bargain and looking for a closer place to go," she says. "They're not looking so much for the cross-country driving trip that was a staple for families."
She says it's unclear at what point higher gasoline prices would cause people to cancel their vacation plans.
"That's a question that most people really don't know the answer to until they're really faced with it. Most people now are living with it."