If higher gas prices translated to people buying less gas and staying close to home, shouldn’t lower price produce the opposite effect?

Not so far, at least on the South Coast.

Tourism in the region seems to be hit and miss, with more people making the trip to Shore Acres State Park for the holiday lights, but fewer people taking advantage of other opportunities.

Shore Acres is seeing an about 5 to 8 percent increase in the number of cars coming through this year. Park manager Preson Phillips attributes the increase to a combination of factors: good weather (until this weekend), lower fuel prices, and increased publicity for the light display. Phillips estimates about 18,000 people have gone through the park so far.

Friends of Shore Acres co-chairwoman Shirley Bridgham said the weather is a big factor every year and the lack of rain at the beginning of the display really helped — so much so that she is going to have to increase the amount of cookies offered while the lights are glowing.

“It really looks like it’s going to be a good season,” Bridgham said.

Shore Acres is a bright spot for the area’s holiday tourism, but otherwise the sudden change in gas prices has not spurred more people to jump in the car and head to the coast.

Coos Bay Visitor Center coordinator Cheryl Crockett said visitor numbers are down. People are being cautious with their money, she said. In November, 454 people cruised through the Coos Bay center while 479 signed in at the North Bend Center. In November 2007 those numbers were 683 for North Bend and 493 for Coos Bay.

Bridgham said many people who come through Shore Acres say they are bringing relatives and friends who are visiting to the holiday lights, which may offer some explanation why visitor centers aren’t seeing the increases.

JoAnn Sauvageau, manager of Motel 6, said the Coos Bay motel’s business is down as much as 12 percent from normal. She believes the economy, in spite of low gas prices, is keeping people at home.

“It doesn’t seem to have made any difference,” she said. “I think people are making more selective choices.”