NEW YORK CITY-Although at least one leading lodging chain’s CEOsaid he’s heard about cancellations, the overall impact of the Gulfoil spill on regional travel is unclear, hotel chiefs toldreporters Monday at the Tisch Center Hospitality Conference. “It’sstill pretty early” to determine how seriously the spill willaffect summer tourism, said Arne Sorenson, president and COO ofMarriott International, Inc., during the conference’s annual“Coffee Talk” media briefing.

That being said, other CEOs shared the concerns of David Kong,president and CEO of Best Western International, who saidfranchisees along the Gulf Coast have told him that a number ofbookings have been canceled as the BP oil spill spread. Sorensoncited the grim T.V. and Web images of oil-coated sea birds, whichseemed to reach a point of ubiquity this past Friday.

Yet Monty Bennett, CEO of Ashford Hospitality Trust, expressedoptimism that the travel demand which created those bookings in thefirst place would not go away but would shift elsewhere. “You mayhave all these travelers who won’t go to Gulf locations,” he said.“But the desire to travel isn’t going to disappear.” The coastalareas’ loss may turn into gain for regional tourist destinationswithin reasonable driving distance, such as Branson, MO.