The Detroit News has this story: Gas prices, poor economy limit vacations.

A snippet:

Travel in Michigan will be off 2 percent in 2008, and spending will be flat, according to Michigan Tourism Outlook prepared by Michigan State University.

Tourism officials are pulling out the stops to try to prove the prognosticators wrong. Armed with nearly $40 million that the state Legislature approved this week, they’ll target potential visitors in Chicago, Ohio and Ontario with ads designed to lure them to Michigan.

“If it was just gas, it wouldn’t be such an issue,” said Sarah Nicholls, an assistant professor at MSU who helped compile the report. “People really have to think ‘Can I afford a (vacation)?’ ”

When I worked as a newspaper reporter in northwest Ohio, I frequently heard a theory from tourism officials in that area that went: when the economy is slow, people stay closer to home for their vacation time.

According to this theory, families who would otherwise schedule a vacation trip out of state would look to tourist attractions within a closer range as their alternative during the down economic years. In other words, those who would like to go to Disney World might consider Cedar Point amusement park instead.

And, because this is such a populous part of the country, that’s a pretty big pool of additional tourists who will look at “regional” attractions.

Therefore, the Lake Erie tourism industry expected to hold its own even during national downturns.

Given the economic reality across the country, that is a good reason for Michigan tourism marketing this summer to be aimed at other Midwest states. After all, you want to aim for your potential market.

But the question I’ve always wondered was: What about the families who could barely afford those shorter trips to begin with?

Take any potential location that’s 150 miles away, which is about the limits of a day-trip or overnight stay distance with 2 1/2 to 3 hours of driving. Let’s assume 25 mpg, which is pretty good mileage for a family-size vehicle. Gas prices are averaging $3.45 a gallon now in our area …

That’s $41.40 just to pay for the gas back and forth.

When gas was $1.70 a gallon (not all THAT long ago), that same family could make this same trip for $20.70.

Can $20 really be a make-or-break deal?

Remember: this is only the start of the travel expenses. Food prices have increased whether you look at sit-down dining, fast food drive-throughs, or “lunch box” items purchased at the grocery store. Camping has long been a frugal alternative to hotel fees, but even that option is getting pricey. When I camped at a full-service campground in Indiana last summer, I had to pay $26 a night. And the Detroit News article mentioned marine fuel spikes that are affecting boaters and anglers.

And what else will you do when you get to your destination? Have you looked at the price of ferry fares? Turnpike tolls? Movie tickets? Museum tickets? Do you routinely buy trinkets and souvenirs on a trip?

Can anyone be surprised if families wonder if they can even afford a vacation this year?