Hotels offer gas rebates amid record prices

Hoping to tempt tapped-out travelers to hit the road this summer, the travel industry is offering fuel rebates and dining vouchers.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Gas prices hit another all-time high of $3.50 a gallon – and that’s bad news for businesses that rely on the summer travel season.

Many hotels and inn keepers hope to lure recession-weary customers out of their homes and onto the road this vacation season by offering discounts on gas and food.

The conference and visitor bureau in Costa Mesa, Calif., home to popular Southern California beaches and Disneyland, is offering a $25 gas or airfare rebate for travelers staying at select Orange County hotels, plus a food voucher worth $25 per night, through its “Drive and dine on us” program.

“Everybody’s looking for the most value for their dollar, and this is cash in their pocket,” said Dan Pittman, a spokesman for the visitor bureau.

Pittman said the program has been running for the last two years, and that last year over 1,300 people took the bureau up on the offer.

CNN