Surge in Spring Flings Has the Travel Industry Hopping

Spring has barely sprung, but the nation’s travel industry is blooming.

Just ask Bob Black, who says his Catalina Passenger Services in Newport Beach has seen demand for ferry service to Santa Catalina jump 40% so far this year.

Spring break crowds have packed his 500-capacity Catalina Flyer to the gunwales, giving some early spring days the appearance of summer high season down on the city’s Balboa peninsula.

“People have money to spend and they want to get out of the house,” Black said. “We’re seeing more families and people out on the streets than we normally do this time of year.”

Americans will take a record 173 million vacation trips this spring, up 5% from the three-month March-to-May period last year, according to a forecast by Travel Industry Assn. of America (TIA), a Washington trade group.

Anaheim, Los Angeles, Monterey and San Francisco rank high on the list of hot spots named by travelers for quick getaways. Most of those trips will last less than a week, but some 40% of spring vacationers surveyed say they’ll spend seven or more days away from home.

Industry watchers say selected air fare bargains, the robust economy, consumer confidence and the desire of harried working families to take shorter but more frequent vacations are fueling the seasonal migration.

Not even surging gasoline prices and rising lodging costs appear to be dampening Americans’ enthusiasm to hit the road. On average, the 1,500 travelers surveyed by TIA estimate they’ll drop $1,080 to get away, up 4% from last spring.

“Travel has become a staple, something people aren’t willing to do without,” said TIA spokeswoman Shawn Flaherty. “Consumers are feeling confident about their personal finances, so they’re out there spending it on travel.”

Thanks to in-state travel by its own 31.6 million residents, California again ranks among the most popular destinations in a crop of surveys projecting consumers’ travel behavior this spring.

* Florida, California and Hawaii were the top three states named by travelers planning a spring vacation, defined as a trip at least 100 miles away from home during March, April or May, according to the TIA’s latest forecast.

* Anaheim, Monterey and San Francisco joined Las Vegas, Orlando, Fla., Branson, Mo., and Myrtle Beach, S.C., as the most popular destinations for vacationing motorists, according to a nationwide American Automobile Assn. survey of its 99 independent auto clubs.

* Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego ranked among the top 10 destinations travel agents are booking for their clients’ spring getaways, according to a recent survey by the 28,500-member American Society of Travel Agents.

Helping to lure those pleasure seekers to greater Los Angeles are new attractions at Southland theme parks.

Disneyland’s new Light Magic Parade is expected to debut in late May. But thrill-seekers are already heading to Knott’s Berry Farm to check out the Windjammer, the park’s new steel racing roller coaster.

Universal Studios Hollywood just unveiled its new Totally Nickelodeon show, a raucous series of games and stunts in which contestants are drenched with green goop from a contraption dubbed the Sliminator.

But the most eagerly awaited new attraction is undoubtedly Superman the Escape at Six Flags Magic Mountain, the first roller coaster to reach 100 mph. Delayed for a year because of mechanical glitches, the ride has heated up the turnstiles in Valencia since opening in early March, according to Six Flags spokeswoman Bonnie Rabjohn.

“We are doing above-average attendance for this time of year,” she said. “Superman drew worldwide attention, so we think it’s going to help draw people to Southern California throughout the spring and summer seasons.”

A potential wet blanket for all this spring fever is the rising price of gasoline nationwide. Some Southland drivers have seen pump prices jump by more than a dime a gallon in just the last few weeks as oil companies have jacked up prices to their dealers.

The price for a gallon of self-serve, regular unleaded in greater Los Angeles averaged $1.30 on March 21, according the most recent survey by the Lundberg Letter. That’s up about a nickel from a year ago, and more than a quarter from October when a temporary surge in refinery production drove prices down near the $1-a-gallon mark at some Southland stations.

Other regions of the country have seen similar price hikes. But AAA spokesman Mike Morrissey said the rise appears to be having little effect on consumers’ spring travel plans.

“A few cents a gallon won’t keep people at home,” he said. “They’ll cut corners on hotels and food before they do that.”

Another pothole for spring vacationers is rising room rates and dwindling vacancies at hotels nationwide.

In recent months, business travelers in major cities from Los Angeles to New York have found themselves scrambling to find a bed some nights, as demand has finally caught up with the building glut of the late 1980s.

Lodgings in mid-sized markets are also feeling the pinch. Hotels around John Wayne Airport in Orange County have bumped their rates an average of 12% over the last year, according to statistics compiled by PKF Consulting, a Los Angeles hospitality consulting firm. Sellouts during some weeknights are becoming commonplace.

Strong corporate demand has pushed occupancy to record levels and driven the average room rate up 42% over the last year at the Doubletree Hotel Anaheim/Orange County, according to Michael Krouse, director of sales and marketing.

“Leisure travelers are definitely facing higher prices,” Krouse said. “And they’d be wise to call ahead.”

March has also been a rough month for air fare bargains, said Tom Parsons, editor of Best Fares magazine.

Many consumers are continuing to avoid American Airlines, flying on other carriers, he said, because of American’s unresolved labor dispute with its pilots.

Those extra passengers have given the other airlines little incentive to repeat such deep discounts as $366 round-trip flights from Los Angles to London that they offered just a month ago, Parsons said.

However, American’s 50%-off “spring fever” sale announced Monday could signal the beginning of another round of travel bargains.

“More good deals are on the way,” Parsons said. “We’re going to see more fare sales before the spring is out.”

* FAVORABLE TREND

More L.A. visitors stayed in hotels than in private residences last year. D2

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Spring Travel Wish Lists

Industry surveys list cities, particularly those in Florida and California, as the nation’s top destinations for spring travelers. Most visitors plan to stay less than a week and spend about $1,080. Travel survey highlights:

Desired Destinations

Cities: 73%

Beaches or lakes: 68%

Friends/family: 68%

Historic sites: 44%

Cultural events: 42%

Camping/climbing: 33%

Theme parks: 32%

Fishing: 27%

Casinos: 23%

Resorts: 21%

Top States

Florida: 44%

California: 32%

Hawaii: 15%

Nevada: 14%

Arizona: 10%

Colorado: 9%

New York: 9%

Texas: 9%

Georgia: 6%

Tennessee: 5%

Note: Respondents could cite more than one destination.

Top Cities

Three locations in California are among the most popular auto trip destinations:

1. Orlando, Fla.

2. Las Vegas

3. Branson, Mo.

4. Monterey, Calif.

5. San Francisco

6. Anaheim

7. Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Time and Money

On average, travelers say they will be away for less than a week, but plan to spend about: 4% more while vacationing this spring:

Length of Trip (Nights Away)

One to three: 26%

Four to six: 27%

Seven or more: 40%

Day trip: 2%

Don’t know: 5%

Spending Plans

1997: $1,080

1996: 1,039

1995: 1,036

1994: 1,026

Sources: Travel Industry Assn., American Automobile Club