Our sluggish economy has many in the tourism industry wondering what this summer will bring. But some lakeside resort owners are optimistic for a good season.

Summer Haven Resort near Cameron has been around for more than 50 years, and Charlie Greene has been coming here for about 22 of those.

Greene says, “It's a family event, the fourth of July my whole family will be here, my 5 kids, their significant others, and my 3 grandchildren, so it'll be a busy place.”

The family feel is one of the things manager Barbara Myers loves about the place. She says, “It's an experience, it’s a lot of work, but it's a lot of fun work.”

She says her 46 cabin lots are already 40 percent booked for this summer, and her hopes are high that the season will only get better. She says, “People are not gonna go camping real far away from their homes anymore until the economy gets better, I look for the season to pick up real quick as it gets a little bit warmer.”

Myers high spirits are shared by other businesses in Chetek. Ryan Gonzales of Rod and Gun Shop says, “Opening day was pretty good, a lot of people coming in, a lot of locals I think with the way things are we may get more locals to stay, rather than traveling up north.”

Kathy Langmore of Bob's Grill in Chetek is relying on the locals and others that hang around the lake in during the summer. She says, “It's been a quiet winter, we had to cut positions, but we’re slowly getting our summer positions back up, so were really hoping for a positive and upbeat summer.”

All the businesses emphasized the fact that they would be relying on a lot more locals sticking around this year. Langmore says even with the high gas prices last summer, Bob's Grill saw better business than in previous years.