Tuesday, April 21, 2009
CLEVELAND (AP) — Marina operators, hotel owners and others who make a living off Lake Erie are expecting to see tourists again this summer despite worries about the economy and job security.
The difference this year is that everyone is looking for a bargain.
“The good news is they’re still planning to visit, but they want to know where they get a deal,” said Larry Fletcher, spokesman for Lake Erie Shores & Islands, a travel and tourism group for Erie and Ottawa counties.
Business owners, he said, are responding by planning to offer discounts on hotels, meals and tickets to popular attractions.
Those who count on the tourists are hopeful that families who put off expensive vacations will stay closer to home.
Three Ottawa County restaurants are not opening for the season. And early bookings are down at some hotels, motels and bed-and-breakfasts. People who are worried about layoffs are afraid to make reservations, Fletcher said.
Boaters are being frugal too.
Sales of expensive yachts and cabin cruisers are down because boaters are instead fixing up what they already own.
At Sima Marine in Eastlake, a Cleveland suburb, high-end boaters are adding flat-screen televisions and elaborate sound systems, said owner John Sima.
New sales are off, even with prices cut up to 40 percent, Sima said.
“I would like to paint a rosy picture, but everyone is concerned about personal expenses. They’re watching every dollar they spend.”
Some are opting for smaller fishing boats.
Sales of 14- to 18-foot fishing boats picked up in March and April, said Hart Morrison, owner of Parma Marine in suburban Cleveland. Others have taken their old boats out of storage for a tune-up.
“We haven’t even gotten into the swing of the season and we’re already backlogged two weeks for service,” Morrison said. “It’s much better than last year.”
Many charter fishing businesses are doing better, but those that rely on corporate charters have lost bookings.
There is one more bright spot.
Boat repossessions this year are flat in Ohio and the Midwest compared with the soaring number of repossesions in in California and Florida, said Matthew Amata, vice president of sales and recovery for National Liquidators, the nation’s largest boat repossession company.