WASHINGTON – It seemed like a can’t-miss tourist attraction that would pull in visitors to the nation’s capital: a new Madame Tussauds wax museum.But since opening last fall, the attraction featuring likenesses of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton – among many others – hasn’t been a big enough draw. Crowds dwindled after the opening, and Madame Tussauds is cutting prices. Adult tickets, previously selling for $21.15, have been lowered by more than $3, and local residents will be offered even better deals.In a soft economy, Madame Tussauds and other businesses in the tourism industry are starting to feel the pinch. Big cities such as New York and Washington may attract more foreign visitors, thanks to the weak dollar, but ticket sales can be erratic, and Americans are thinking about fewer, shorter and less-expensive trips.”We’re really in kind of tenuous territory,” said Suzanne Cook, research vice president at the Travel Industry Association.A new Rand McNally survey says two-thirds of Americans planning road trips this summer are shortening their trips or canceling altogether. AAA predicted the number of Americans planning to drive more than 50 miles over Memorial Day weekend is down by 1 percent. Air travel will decline slightly as well, AAA said.In the casino capital of Las Vegas, things already are tough.Room occupancy rates have fallen slightly, forcing casinos to lower hotel room prices. Gambling giant MGM Mirage Inc. and local casino operator Station Casinos have cut their work forces. Las Vegas Sands, which opened a massive casino on the Strip in January, unexpectedly swung to a loss of $11.2 million in the first quarter of the year.Analysts expect the slowdown to be most dramatic at midmarket Las Vegas resorts that rely on tourists driving in from southern California. Those tourists already began staying away in the early part of the year, before gas prices rose again.With the summer months fast approaching, tourism officials are waving discounts, freebies and other marketing ploys to draw visitors who might be reluctant to open their purse strings, especially outside major cities.In Rehoboth Beach, Del., innkeepers are advertising free gas cards with a reservation or an extra night for free, hoping to soothe tourists’ concerns about gas prices.Just south of Washington, George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate in Virginia has created a discount promotion with the Corcoran Gallery of Art to tie in with the exhibit, “The American Evolution: A History Through Art.” A ticket bought at one attraction is worth a half-price discount at the other. In June, Mount Vernon will try giving away reproductions of George Washington’s china to one visitor each day.”We’re interested to see if it might bring out people who just need that extra little push,” said Emily Coleman Dibella, Mount Vernon’s spokeswoman.Tourism officials think destinations in urban corridors may be most insulated from rising prices. Washington, for example, is ranked as one of the most expensive tourist destinations, with an average price of $352 a day for a family of four, according to AAA figures. But local tourism officials say the city benefits from its proximity to cities within a day’s driving range, and the influx of European tourists taking advantage of the dollar’s weak value.

Christina Lane, right, had guests try on a petticoat at George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate in Virginia. In June, Mount Vernon will give away reproductions of Washington’s china to one visitor each day to draw tourists. Photo by (AP)

Jacquelyn Martin