Travel costs up in GJ, abroad

By Emily Anderson
Free Press Staff Writer
May 8, 2008

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    GRAND JUNCTION — Travelers may find it difficult to take a vacation from their problems this summer.

    For the first time, the American Automobile Association released a statement saying inflated gas prices could impede summer travel. Local gas prices are hovering around $3.50 a gallon already.

    Jennifer Grosheim-Harris of the Grand Junction Visitor and Convention Bureau said lodging tax revenues remain strong in the Grand Valley.

    “That reflects our market is very healthy,” she said.

    But this summer’s tourism numbers are hard to predict.

    “So far (gas prices) have had no effect on us, but it will be an interesting year,” said Grosheim-Harris.

    More Coloradans are going abroad this summer than last summer. AAA predicted a 3.6 percent increase, from 468,000 Coloradans traveling outside the United States to 508,000 this summer.

    That comes with a 7.2 percent international spending increase for Coloradans, due partly to a weak U.S. dollar and stronger Euro and pound.

    Although travel to Europe is expected to increase in the single digits, travel to China is expected to increase by 13.4 percent (573,000 Americans) and rise by 13.1 percent to India (227,000 Americans), according to AAA.

    Rod Thompson, owner of Travel Masters in Grand Junction, said warm weather locations are the most popular international destinations for local travelers after a long winter. Vacation packages to Tahiti, New Zealand and central European countries are his biggest sellers.

    Thompson said he’s seeing more fuel surcharges and price increases because of airplane fuel costs, but that hasn’t stunted business.

    “Fuel prices have definitely impacted the price of packages,” he said. “But our volume and our sales and numbers are all up.”

    Reach Emily Anderson at eanderson@gjfreepress.com.