With skyrocketing gas prices, businesses in the region say fewer boaters are travelling area waterways this summer.
According to Parks Canada, the number of boaters on the Rideau Canal has dropped by approximately 25 per cent this year.
Meanwhile, the number of boaters on the Trent Severn Waterway is also down about 28 per cent.
The lack of visitors to the region's waterways has many businesses that rely on tourists worried.
"As the lockmaster told me, last year on Victoria Day we had 19 boats passing through. This year we had only two boats, so that's a major difference," said Josef Zsofnyak of the Locks Italian Restaurant.
"If we don't have a good summer, we won't be able to cover the winter time when it's quite low."
Many say the drop in visitors is partly due to rainy weather and drastic changes to the price of fuel.
CTV Ottawa talked to one boater who is faced with a $4,200 bill every time he fills his tank. Although the cost to fill the tanks for smaller boats is less, it's still costly.
"From Montreal to here, my kind of boat, it's about $1,000 in gas," boater Stephene Messier told CTV Ottawa on Tuesday.
While many Americans are avoiding taking a trip to eastern Ontario this summer, business owners in the region say they're seeing many more visitors from Ontario and Quebec.
"I think a lot of people are taking day trips and we have a lot of great places for them to stay here and so a lot of people are maybe coming over just for the night," said Kathleen Jones of Kato's Fine Foods.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Aliya Jiwan
