-Washington state campground reports Canadian visits up-

OSOYOOS TIMES-July 30, 2008-

By Chad IngramrnOsoyoos Times

High gas prices seem to be taking a toll on some of Osoyoos's hotels, motels and campgrounds, keeping some tourists away and changing the habits of those who are coming to Osoyoos to vacation.
We're down a bit, said Sandy Eslinger, manager of the Coast Hotel. Normally we're full (at this time of year).
Eslinger said the number of guests at the 60-room hotel is down by about 10 per cent.
It's probably the overall economy, she said.
The story was similar at Lakeshore Drive's Brookvale Holiday Resort.
Normally at this time of year I'm running full and this year I'm not, said owner Cathy Herbert adding that 15 per cent of the RV resort's 105 spots were vacant.
She said she thought the decrease was a direct result of the rising price of gas.
We're not getting the drive-bys that usually come in and top up our vacancy, Herbert said, adding she thought more people were carefully planning their vacations.
She said she's also seen more tents this summer than usual.
What they camp in will change, but I don't think they won't camp, Herbert said.
She said there are more reservations for the resort for August but it still wasn't fully booked.
After a slow start to July which she attributed to Canada Day falling mid-week, Tracy Robinson, owner of the Richter Pass Motel said she was feeling good at between 80 and 90 per cent of capacity, a seasonal average.
However, she said some guests are not staying as long.
As the price of gas goes up, they have to leave earlier, Robinson said. Particularly the younger ones.rnRobinson said a high number of teenagers and twenty-somethings seem to be staying for only three nights as opposed to five nights or a week.
She said there also seems to be less walk-in traffic.
Down the street at the Holiday Inn, manager Peter Bueschkens made a similar observation.
Bueschkens said that while the hotel is at its normal 85 per cent capacity rate for July, many people seem to be leaving a day or two earlier than usual.
He said the average stay for the hotel this summer is 4.5 days.
People are adjusting the length of time to accommodate (gas prices), Bueschkens said.
Jay Patel, the owner of the Spanish Fiesta and Falcon motels said traffic at his businesses is down about 25 per cent, although he didn't think gas prices were the main culprit.
Instead, he said, he's heard that an increasing number of tourists are choosing to rent strata condominiums from their owners instead of staying at hotels or motels.
Patel also said that he's had an unprecedented number of cancellations this year.
Over at the Nk'Mip Campground and RV Resort, manager Chris Bower said the park's 326 slips have been occupied every night since the beginning of July and that the park is receiving drive-in traffic.
However, Bower did say the resort has not had to use its overflow area, which it used for periods in the summer of 2007.
With the Canadian dollar near par with its American counterpart, more British Columbians are making their way south of the border to camp, the senior administrator for Washington State Parks said last week.
Don Powell compared visitor statistics for Osoyoos Lake State Park near Oroville for the period of May 15 to July 15 of 2007 to that same period this year and found that overall visitation was up by 7.8 per cent.
He added that while last year British Columbians made up 42.6 per cent of the park's visitors, this year they accounted for exactly half.
The park has 87 campsites.
Meanwhile, it appears the number of travellers crossing the border into Osoyoos has actually increased from last year.
Canadian Border Services statistics show that while 46,812 travellers came into Canada at the border crossing in June of 2007, 48,746 crossed in June of this year.
reporter@osoyoostimes.com