Labor Day fell on September 1 last year, allowing for a long weekend trip before a new school year started in many regions of the country. [image-nocss] This year, however, Labor Day is September 7, when the school year has already started for many children.
Last year, 45.1 million Americans traveled during the Labor Day holiday weekend period; the most this decade. Despite this year's sizeable projected decline of 6 million travelers, AAA said it expects more Americans to travel this holiday than were projected to travel over this year's 4th of July holiday weekend. AAA projected 37.1 million Americans would travel during the Independence Day holiday; typically the busiest automobile travel holiday of the year. This will also be the third strongest weekend for Labor Day travel this decade. The second busiest year was 2003 when 41.6 million Americans took a Labor Day weekend trip.
AAA's projections are based on research conducted by IHS Global Insight. The Boston-based economic research and consulting firm teamed with AAA earlier this year as part of an agreement to jointly analyze travel trends during the major holidays. AAA has been reporting on holiday travel trends for more than two decades. For purposes of this forecast the Labor Day holiday travel period is defined as trips that include travel of 50 miles or more from home in one direction during the period from Thursday, September 3, to Monday September 7.
Last Labor Day weekend the nationwide average price of self-serve, regular gasoline dropped to $3.68 per gallon after peaking at an all-time record of $4.11 per gallon on July 17, AAA said. This combined with the earliness of the holiday and the emergence of end of summer discounts on traveler, caused large numbers of travelers to make a last minute decision to take a holiday trip.
This year, AAA expects the nationwide average price of self-serve, regular gasoline to be approximately one dollar per gallon less expensive than it was one year ago; or about $2.60 per gallon. Continued discounts and deals offered by travel providers will also make Labor Day vacations attractive, AAA said.
"AAA expects this Labor Day holiday weekend to be the third busiest of the decade, even though the number of travelers will be down from one year ago," said AAA president and CEO Robert L. Darbelnet. "However, with Labor day falling a week later this year when many children will have returned to school, the decline may more to do with the calendar than with the economy. Our forecast shows Labor Day travel will be up over this summer's 4th of July holiday and that's a positive sign."
Some 4% of holiday vacationers are expected to travel by airline for Labor Day trips, while those traveling by automobile will increase to 84%, AAA said. Automobile vacations will be taken by 32.9 million travelers and air trips by only 1.5 million travelers. This will be the lowest number of trips by air this decade for the Labor Day holiday weekend. Those traveling by other modeswhich can include trains, cruises, buses, RVs, personal watercraft, motorcycles, or trips that use multiple modes of travelare expected to account for 4.8 million or 12% of Labor Day holiday travelers.
Average spending will be $968 and average distance traveled will be 645 miles.
Labor Day travelers expect to spend approximately $968 per household this upcoming holiday weekend. Transportation and accommodations will account for 47% of trip spending, while food and beverage will absorb another 22% of the holiday budget. Shopping, entertainment and recreation will account for 27% of spending on average. "Other" spending is 4%.
Labor Day travelers will journey an average of 645 miles roundtrip this upcoming holiday weekend. More than one third (37%) of travelers will stay relatively close to home, with expected round trips of 250 miles or less. Slightly more than one third (34%) of weekend travelers will log between 251 and 700 miles. And 28% will travel over 700 miles round trip.
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