With the rising price of gas, vacationers might decide to take a trip closer to home this year. Perhaps a they might like to visit a nearby small town, spending a few days in each town, while taking a circular route back home. Just a thought…
From the North Carolina Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development:
ENERGY DEPT. EXPECTS SUMMER GASOLINE DEMAND TO FALL
U.S. summer gasoline demand will shrink for the first time since 1991 as skyrocketing pump prices and the wider economic malaise hit holiday plans, the U.S. Energy Information Administration forecast Tuesday. With some regions of the U.S. seen facing the shock of $4.00 a gallon gasoline this summer, fuel demand could contract 0.4% from 2007 as U.S. cars and gas-guzzling sport utility vehicles spend more time in driveways. Retail gas prices will peak near $3.60 a gallon in June, but prices at such lofty levels will make many Americans think twice about hitting the road this summer, the Energy Department said. To find out more, visit here and here.
Tracking by the Division of Tourism reveals that the average price per gallon of gas in North Carolina has increased 3.2 percent from one month ago and 20.7 percent from one year ago. In the metro regions of Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Asheville, Fayetteville, Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point, today (Wednesday) marks the highest recorded price for regular unleaded gasoline.
Nationally, the average price increased 3.8 percent from one month ago and 19.7 percent from one year ago. To find out more, visit here.
“Staycations” – Getting Away Without Going Away – Travel trend watchers said they are seeing a rise in the number of Americans opting for stay-at-home vacations, or “staycations,” and people who are either canceling their travel plans, postponing them till later in the year or opting to take fewer, shorter trips. For some families, it’s a matter of figuring out which trips are necessary – and which ones don’t fit into the budget. For others, financial concerns mean changing warm-weather traditions altogether. Though overarching economic concerns are also affecting travel plans, the increased cost of gasoline is cited by many as a key reason for scaling back. To find out more, visit here.
Tags: Gas prices, nearby towns, short trips, Small Towns, Staycations
