COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Labor Day weekend marks the official end of the summer tourist season. Despite fears about the still-weak economy, local members of the tourism industry said Monday that this summer's season was better than last year's disappointing season.

"I think people still want to take a vacation," said Bonnie Frum of the Garden of the Gods Visitor Center. "We're such a drive market that people will still hop in their cars and come."

A New Jersey visitor agreed. "I just am so fascinated by the history, beauty and majesty of the mountains," said Christine Allen-Jackson. "I'm leaning about and appreciating what's out here."

Frum said nearly 600,000 people visited the center this summer, and two million more visited Garden of the Gods park. She said most travelers come from Texas, and more are choosing to stay with family and friends locally. Frum said she'd like to see a boost in lodging business, and a way to better compete with ski resort towns during the summer.

"Obviously, we don't have skiing," Frum said. "What we need to do is keep doing what we do well."

In Manitou Springs, the manager of Savelli's restaurant said the summer was a huge success. "The locals got ran out," said manager Dustin Slater. "It was nothing but tourists. Last summer I worked the normal 40 hours a week. This summer I was up to almost 60 hours a week."

At the nearby Eagle Motel, owner Bill James was glad to see better business after a 2009 summer that he said was his worst in 19 years. "There has been an upswing," he said. "It's been good."

A better analysis of the tourism industry will be made during a meeting of the Pikes Peak Country Attractions Association later this week.