Having fun on the cheap

Tourism officials say industry is striving to offer economical options for Bay State residents

 If Memorial Day was any indication, Massachusetts will experience a strong tourism season this summer, according to industry officials and representatives from key destinations.

The holiday weekend, as well as the spring season was promising at the New England Aquarium with whale watches up more than 9 percent over last year and a “stupendous” April vacation week, according to representatives from the aquarium.

“The whale watch is part of the staycation phenomena were people are looking for fun things to do close to home. I think the aquarium and whale watch are great destinations for that,” said Jane Wolfson, vice president of marketing and communications at the aquarium.

Although, tourist numbers from Memorial Day are not yet compiled from hotels, motels and destinations statewide, anecdotally, the results show the weekend was a success, said Betsy Wall, executive director of the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism.

“Of the 13 tourism regions in Massachusetts every one went into the weekend with strong numbers and came out with even stronger,” said Wall. “The economy is what it is and there’s no doubt many people are operating on a shoestring but we do think our industry has risen to the challenge and offered great deals.”

According to Paul Sacco, president of the Massachusetts Lodging Association, which represents more than 1,500 establishments, the drop in gas prices from last summer will also encourage more Massachusetts residents to drive to their summer destinations.

“Establishments on the Cape believe it should be a good season because of the drive market. They are already seeing an uptick including the Memorial Day weekend,” said Sacco. “The only thing is we’ve gotta get a break in the weather.”