Tourism officials in Grey and Bruce Counties are not pushing the panic button yet over high gas prices.
Some analysts feel the high price at the pumps will keep people from heading in the cars to visit other parts of the province.
But both Tourism Co-ordinators in Bruce and Grey feel the high gas prices will help them as people will vacation closer to home rather than take extended trips.
Bryan Plumstead says they are close enough to the GTA and 400 series highways that Ontario residents will still visit our region.
Chris Hughes notes it’s less than a full tank of gas for people to drive from those areas and they did notice a similar trend post 9-11 and during the SARS crisis.
Hughes notes they have already launched an extensive ad campaign in London, Kitchener – Waterloo and the Greater Toronto Area.
Stats from 2004 show tourism accounts for more than 200 million dollars to the Grey Bruce economy and employs about 3 thousand people.
Both Hughes and Plumstead point to the high value of the Canadian dollar as the only concern.
They say the high loonie makes it attractive for people to visit and shop in the U-S while discouraging Americans to visit Grey Bruce.
