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US Travelers Face Sticker Shock at Gas Pump
May 23, 2008
From Detroit to L.A., this Memorial Day Weekend is not kind to those who drive. While Europeans and international travelers in the United States ask why Americans are so spoiled about gas prices, they discover why when renting a car for a drive tour through America. A survey around the country found that prices hover around $4 gallon of gasoline during the launch of the summer travel season in the USA. At the same time, home prices are dropping yet lower, houses continue to fall into foreclosure, and wages are not keeping pace with inflation. Will it affect tourism? Yes, absolutely! Hotels that normally are fully booked during this holiday are complaining of empty rooms and less bookings that past seasons. The summer is likely to bare out the slow launch and lower booking numbers–this is great for international travelers to the US! While hotels attempt to remain firm on their nightly fees and many have added additional charges, availability will continue to be your best friend in the US in 2008 summer season, running from May to September.
On May 23rd, 2008 at 9:58 pm , BJX said:
We’re paying over $4/gallon now. My family is checking our email at our in-laws’ house now that we arrived for the evening and weekend visit. Our way of cutting back is to stay with people we know. We used to book hotel rooms, but we are fortunate to have a network of friends and family we can share our home with and stay with them. It’s old-fashioned bonding. And sure there are a few conflicts from time to time, but my advice is to keep your visits short & sweet, pitch in and buy food, wash dishes, or take your friends out. Actually all of the above is the best practice to get invited back!
On May 23rd, 2008 at 10:01 pm , vbcraig said:
What about the people who won’t leave? How do you get rid of them? I have some people who call and want to stay with us and we’d normally think it was fine. But they want us to drop everything and drive them around. In keeping with your blog about the price of gas, my perfect guest should keep my car filled with petro during their stay. That will help out most.
On May 24th, 2008 at 12:46 am , tabby said:
While travel is down only a fraction of a percent, I heard on the news that people aren’t traveling as much this memorial weekend, thanks to gas prices. I am sticking close to home and noticed the store was packed. People are buying lots of beer–high octane!
On May 24th, 2008 at 12:48 am , bb said:
try getting out of NYC! it was quite a wait to exit the city.
On May 24th, 2008 at 9:54 am , badpappa said:
I don’t think the cost of gas will affect our travels much. We’re working and doing ok. We need our vacation and will probably just cut back on other things such as gift-giving, charity donations and that sort of thing. While we help as much as we can afford, if my family doesn’t get out and travel, we kind of lose touch. Our two daughters, Madison and Macy, 12 & 6, are the joys of our life and we feel it is so important to expose them to all the sights we’ve seen during my wife and my travels. It is hard for my wife (she’s a flight attendant). She’d rather stay at home on her days off. But at least our trips by car are totally different than her career.
On May 26th, 2008 at 6:49 pm , angry said:
The rise in gas prices is a total rip-off. Why are the oil companies allowed to hold the public hijacked? They made their biggest profits ever. Meanwhile, public utilities are regulated. Gasoline should be considered a public utility. Once people quit driving, it will hurt all sectors of the economy from the food we eat to our vacations, and take home pay.
On May 6th, 2009 at 9:53 pm , justine said:
OK…its a year later and look at prices now. Their down around $2.25 in San Diego, Ca. People have less money, but they are definitely driving.