Optimism seen for Maryland 2012 beach season

OCEAN CITY, Md - The head of a think tank at Salisbury University says the value-conscious mind-set of beachgoers could be changing.
 
Memo Diriker, who heads the BEACON economic think tank, says he is hearing that many believe the upcoming summer season is going to be clearly better than the past few years.
 
And while gas prices are a factor, Diriker says higher gas prices could benefit Ocean City by keeping tourists from driving farther.
 
Diriker told The Daily Times of Salisbury that most visitors don't need more than a tank of gas to reach Ocean City, giving the resort an edge over destinations further away. That means unless gas prices get so high they keep tourists at home, higher gas prices could help draw more visitors to the beach resort.