Tough Economy May Boost Hub Tourism

BOSTON -- Soaring gasoline prices and a sputtering economy have Boston tourism officials hoping for a good summer tourism season.

NewsCenter 5's Shiba Russell reported that with oil prices opening the week at a record-high $126 a barrel and gas prices up to an average of $3.67 a gallon in Massachusetts, more people may be planning to stay closer to home this summer.

The Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau is forecasting 6.12 million visitors will travel to Boston and Cambridge this year. That's up 2 percent over last year, the Boston Herald reported.

Hotels, restaurants, local attractions and stores should see plenty of green. It's projected that visitors will spend $3 billion while they're in town.

The growing list of visitors opting to visit the Bay State because it's cheaper to do so includes international tourists. The state's marketing effort is quite appealing as it pitches local attractions from the Red Sox to the city's big July 4th celebration, saying there's lots to see and do.

The numbers are just projections, but the visitors bureau said the proof is in the first-quarter numbers. Boston and Cambridge were up 13 percent in international visitors. They said the news is only expected to get better this summer.