We like to point out encouraging signs for our area’s economy whenever they present themselves. We think we’ve spotted one in the start of the 2008 tourist season.

Nearly everyone involved in the tourist trade had nothing but optimism to express by the time the Memorial Day weekend wrapped up. “It was extremely busy,” said State Park Police Lt. Patrick Moriarity. “It was one of the busiest Memorial Day weekends I remember.” At one point, the wait to ride the Maid of the Mist tour boat was three hours.

The crowds over Memorial Day and the previous Victoria Day (a Canadian holiday) weekend should bring smiles to the faces of all who are concerned with the economic health of our region. There has been a big question mark hovering over the tourist trade, most of it brought on by $4 per gallon gasoline and $130 a barrel oil. Would people simply stay home instead of filling the tank to travel to Niagara Falls? Or would upstate New Yorkers, folks in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Ontario at least spring for a regional trip which likely would benefit our area?

Of course, there’s a long way to go this summer and there are a whole host of factors that go into the relative success of the tourist season. It’s much too early to tell, but initial results seem to show that there could be enough regional travel to make Tourist Season 2008 here a winner.

Now it’s up to us to capitalize on it. We’ve stated this a number of times before but it bears repeating: All of Niagara County needs to be included when developing a tourism strategy.

Do you think including attractions in Lewiston (Artpark and other arts-related events), Youngstown (Old Fort Niagara), Lockport (Erie Canal) and North Tonawanda (Carrousel Museum) with a transportation system linking all of them would be of interest to folks in, say, Syracuse? We do. A chance to experience all of these attractions in addition to the falls without spending a nickel on gasoline just might get tourists’ attention. It could convince them to stay three or four days instead of the few hours that many spend at just the falls themselves.

We don’t want to say that high gasoline prices are our friend. They cause too much pain to individual motorists and cause an inflationary ripple effect throughout our economy. But that doesn’t mean we can’t adjust and make the best of the situation. The ray of sunshine that was the holiday weekend should at least prove that.