Every day, visitors from around the world flock to the hot sites of Hollywood, the historic birthplace of America’s entertainment industry. But so far this year, the crowds are thinner, tourist spending is down and merchants are nervous.

Typical was Joel Laitala, a mechanic, who recently focused his camera on a star in the pavement while his wife, Lori, watched as costumed characters — Superman, Capt. Jack Sparrow and Homer Simpson — posed for photos with tourists for tips.

Aided by lower gas prices, cheap airline tickets and lodging deals, tourists like the Laitala family continue to flock to see Marilyn Monroe’s handprints in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and Tom Selleck’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. But the family of five was scrimping on this trip. They avoided trinket shops, theme parks and expensive eateries. They planned to buy food at a grocery store and spend most of their visit to Los Angeles at the beach or the zoo.

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