This shot from the Speedway in Belpre shows gas up to $4.29 a gallon. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

PARKERSBURG – As gas prices rise above $4 on Tuesday, local officials are looking at the possible effects and some are looking forward to how it might impact the upcoming summer tourism season.

Gas stations in Wood County, W.Va. and Washington County, Ohio saw prices ranging from $4.19 to $4.29 on Tuesday.

Gas prices were eight cents higher in Northern West Virginia and 17 cents higher in South Central Ohio at the beginning of the week, according to the Weekly Gas Watch report released Monday by the American Automotive Association (AAA).

Across the country, drivers are seeing increased gas prices this week as the national average has increased by seven cents since last week to $4.11, according to the report. As of Monday morning, crude oil prices have seen an increase to around $96 per barrel, as the conflict in the Persian Gulf continues, the report stated adding pump prices are almost a dollar higher than this time last year, when a gallon of regular sat at $3.14.

According to data from the Energy Information Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand decreased last week from 9.08 million barrels per day to 9.05 million, the report said adding total domestic gasoline supply decreased from 232.9 million barrels to 228.4 million. Gasoline production increased last week, averaging 10.1 million barrels per day.

Gas stations in Wood County, W.Va. and Washington County, Ohio saw prices ranging from $4.19 to $4.29 on Tuesday. This Par Mar store on Division Street went from $3.99 to $4.19 on Tuesday. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

The higher gas prices are reshaping household budgets across the country, according to a press release from Advance America. The group surveyed 3,002 drivers earlier this month and asked at what price per gallon would people start cutting back on essentials.

West Virginian drivers say they would start cutting back on essentials at $4.65 per gallon. Prices were at $3.99 when their survey was taken on April 7.

The Advance America report stated when prices rise, the first sacrifices tend to come from lifestyle spending rather than absolute necessities. More than 4 in 10 (41%) surveyed said they would cut back on eating out or takeout first, followed by travel and leisure (29%).

Around 13% would reduce grocery spending, while 3% would cut back on healthcare or medications — a sign that rising fuel costs can push households into uncomfortable territory.

To cope with higher gas prices, most West Virginians look for small, practical changes before making drastic moves with 40% saying they would drive less, 19% would combine trips or plan routes more carefully and 17% would take on extra work or side income.

“Gas prices don’t just hit wallets — they change behavior,” said Laura McCutcheon, vice president of Marketing at Advance America, in the press release. “What’s striking here is how little headroom many Americans feel they have left. For some, we’re not talking about a distant tipping point. We’re already right on top of it.”

A message left at the offices of the Par Mar Oil Company in Marietta who operates a number of gas stations in the area was not immediately returned.

Delegate Scot Heckert, (R-Wood) said that gas prices going up hurt everyone from “grandma and grandpa, parents and businesses and the economy in general.”

“I don’t know what we can do about it yet,” he said. “I don’t think anyone knows.”

Heckert said lawmakers are looking at different things that might be done, but they do not have anything they are considering. He said the governor could call the legislature into session to do something related to the state’s gas tax.

“If he would take the time to do that, I am sure we would take the time to look at it and work to come up with a solution,” he said. However, he has not heard anything about that possibility happening on the state level.

Heckert serves as the Operating Manager at Yellow Taxi in Parkersburg. They have not discussed yet if they will need to raise their fees due to gas prices. Taxi rate increases are regulated through the West Virginia Public Service Commission.

“In the gas industry, prices go up and down all the time,” he said adding some of the causes are both economic and political.

The higher gas prices have local tourism officials watching as May usually ushers in the start of the local travel season when people are coming to the area to see local sites. Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park opens Friday, May 1.

Mark Lewis, president and CEO of the Greater Parkersburg Convention and Visitors Bureau, said higher gas prices can be a mixed blessing for local tourism as more people tend to take shorter day trips.

“We you have people facing that increased cost, sometimes they look for things closer to home to do,” Lewis said. “You get a balance. You lose some people from traveling father away, but we are a fairly short driving destination for most of our visitors.

“I think, on the whole, we are not going to see much of an impact, because of the increased gas prices. It is always hard to predict.”

Both economic and political conditions can change that could cause prices to return to normal or remain higher than usual.

The Greater Parkersburg CVB is looking at the possibility of running some commercials that they have run in the past when people are dealing with high gas prices, encouraging them to seek out attractions and things to do that are closer to home due to higher gas prices.

“We haven’t decided yet if we are going to run the commercial,” Lewis said. “We are going to wait and see what transpires over the next month or so.”

The majority of visitors to the area come from around Memorial Day to the end of October. Blennerhassett Island and other area attractions sees visitors start to pick up around Memorial Day, Lewis said.

“We will be monitoring the situation,” he said. “We will be strategic about it, depending what transpires over the next couple of months.”

Deana Clark, executive director of the Marietta-Washington County Convention & Visitors Bureau, said tourism officials in Ohio are talking about people from across the state planning to travel within the state for their vacations seems more like a likely possibility this year.

They get a lot of people coming in from Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati in Ohio, Charleston W.Va. and Pittsburgh, Pa. They are expecting many people coming in this year from around Ohio.

“We don’t think (the higher gas prices) will have much of an effect on us in Marietta,” she said. “Our regular audiences are within a three-hour range of here so we get a lot of instate travel all ready so that is what we are hearing the trend will be this year.

“Honestly, I don’t think we will be too affected. We should be OK.”

Contact Brett Dunlap at Brett Dunlap at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com