Pricey gas guzzling may limit tourism promotion

Mathis Winkler

NEWPORT BEACH -- As average gasoline prices in the city crept past the

$2 mark this week, some Newport Beach tourism venues are beginning to

focus on attracting visitors living within a 100-mile radius rather than

promoting themselves to those farther away.

While Newport Dunes Resort promoters still advertise their 406 sites

for recreational vehicles on a national and international level, more

attention has shifted to folks nearby.

“When you’re looking at eight to 10 miles per gallon,” RV fans might

think twice to take their vehicles on a long road trip as a result of

current gasoline prices,” said Andrew Theodorou, the resort’s general

manager. He added that resort officials have bumped up advertisements in

brochures and other publications within a 100-mile radius and sent out

mailers to people living in the area as well.

But the city’s business and tourism leaders said they didn’t expect a

huge drop in long-distance visitors.

“An extra $4 would not be a deterrent,” said Richard Luehrs, the

president and chief executive of the Newport Harbor Area Chamber of

Commerce, although he added that the general slowdown of the economy “had

some people acting in a more cautious manner.”

As of Tuesday, figures released by the Automobile Club of Southern

California show the price of gas has jumped by 40 cents a gallon over the

last four months. In Newport Beach, the average price was $2.03 for

regular gas and $2.24 for premium.

John Cassady, the executive director of the Newport Beach Conference

and Visitors Bureau, said company conferences might slow down a bit “as

we move into an expensive gas environment.”

While the Los Angeles and San Diego areas remained target markets for

the city, Cassady said he didn’t know whether the increase in gas prices

had affected hotels so far.

State tourism officials said they also didn’t expect to see visitors

turn away from California.

“People readjust their budgets and continue to travel,” said Fred

Sater, a spokesman for the state trade and commerce agency’s division of

tourism.

Officials for most of the city’s major hotels could not be reached for

comment Tuesday.

Other Newport Beach hoteliers said ballooning energy costs, rather

than gasoline price hikes, might become this summer’s real problem.

While summer reservations from Nevada and Arizona residents at Balboa

Peninsula’s Portofino Beach Hotel still remained strong so far, there had

been “some reluctance at the energy costs,” said Ken Ricamore, who owns

the hotel.

He added that he hadn’t decided whether to cover his costs with a

special energy consumption surcharge or an increase in room fees.