'Staycations' bolster tourism

Boston and Cambridge benefit as determined travelers save money by taking road trips to destinations near home

Despite the wobbly US economy, slightly more visitors traveled to Boston and Cambridge during the first two months of summer - and many more of them chose to drive instead of fly.

An estimated 3.3 million people traveled at least 50 miles to the two cities, or stayed in a hotel at least one night in June or July, up 1.6 percent from the same period a year ago, according to a Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau survey of nearly 800 people. And 77 percent of those summer guests arrived by car, compared with 64 percent last year.

The Hub's travel gains illustrate a national trend of people vacationing closer to home as they face rising fuel and food costs coupled with skyrocketing airfares and new airline fees for checked luggage, pillows, and other extras. Greater Boston is benefiting from Europeans and Canadians who keep a close eye on favorable exchange rates and swoop in for relatively inexpensive international excursions, as well as New Englanders taking short road trips for more affordable vacations.

"It reinforces the underpinnings of the visitor industry, which is vacations are sacred," said Patrick B. Moscaritolo, chief executive of the convention and visitors bureau.

Boston area attractions also are benefiting. In June, year-over-year sales of Boston CityPass were up 21 percent, and the other 10 cities where the discount tourist-attraction booklet is available also enjoyed double-digit increases, spokeswoman Susan Wilson said.

For $44, or almost 50 percent off regular admission, the Boston CityPass admits visitors into the New England Aquarium, Harvard Museum of Natural History, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum, Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of Science, and Skywalk Observatory. Old Town Trolley Tours of Boston is enjoying a record-setting season, with ticketed ridership up 11.5 percent in July and 17.5 percent so far in August, compared with the same months last year, general manager Matthew Murphy said.

"Boston is back on the map in terms of tourism," Murphy said. "We're going to benefit from the international visitors, but we're also benefiting from folks taking 'staycations.' We're seeing a lot of folks from Pennsylvania and Connecticut and New Jersey. We're getting the best of both worlds."

Meanwhile, air travel is expected to continue to decline. The Air Transport Association of America, a trade group representing US airlines, predicted yesterday that 5.7 percent fewer passengers worldwide will fly on US airlines during the period surrounding Labor Day, Aug. 27 to Sept. 3.

Already, 5 percent fewer travelers have passed through Boston's Logan International Airport during the first half of this year. And in June, the airport had 3.2 percent fewer international passengers and 7.4 percent fewer domestic passengers compared with the same month in 2007, according to the latest data available from the Massachusetts Port Authority, which runs Logan.

These dynamics are sure to be on the minds of hoteliers gathering at the Omni Parker House hotel on Thursday for the 2009 forecast meeting hosted by the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International's New England chapter.

"The hospitality industry is very nervous about the next 12 months," said Timothy P. Kirwan, general manager of the InterContinental Boston. The upscale hotel has been enjoying summer business that so far is up 6 percent compared with the same period last year. But he said, "we're seeing the next three quarters a bit of a falloff to our normal prebooking pace. That's what's got everyone a little bit nervous."

Nicole C. Wong can be reached at nwong@globe.com.