WASHINGTON -- Travel will be up slightly this Memorial Day holiday despite high gasoline prices and increasing vacation costs, according to AAA. AAA estimates that 38.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home this holiday, a 1.7% increase from last year.
Approximately 32.1 million travelers (84% of all holiday travelers) expect to go by motor vehicle, a 1.8% increase from the 31.5 million who drove a year ago. Another 4.4 million (11% of holiday travelers) plan to travel by airplane, up 1% from last Memorial Day. A projected 1.9 million (5% [image-nocss] of all holiday travelers) vacationers will travel by train, bus or other mode of transportation, about even with a year ago.
High gas prices won't deter Americans from traveling this Memorial Day, said AAA travel vice president Sandra Hughes. Families will travel closer to home, they will travel for fewer days and will save money by staying in less expensive hotels and eating in cheaper restaurants, but they will continue to take vacations and plan getaways.
Holiday auto travelers will find gasoline prices nationwide currently averaging $3.04 for a gallon of self-serve regular gasolineup 25 cents from a month ago and more than 15 cents higher than this time last year.
Travelers will get a bit of a break this holiday weekend when making their way to their destination. AAA's Leisure Travel Index shows flights over the holiday weekend averaging 5% less this year than last year, with the average flight costing $166. Car rental rates are expected to fall 16% from last year, with renters paying an average of $31, almost $6 less than last year. Hotel rates, however, will be up about 13% from a year ago, with travelers spending an average of $174 per night at AAA 3 Diamond hotels.
The average household that is traveling this Memorial Day Weekend will spend $594.
Many American households will be traveling with their children. In fact, 57% of households with children under 18 will bring them along on their Memorial Day vacation this year nationwide. Travelers from the Midwest region are most likely to travel with their children, with 66.6% saying they would be bringing their kids along. The Southeast follows close behind with 60% traveling with kids under 18; 54% of parents in the Northeast will travel with their children, while 53% of parents in the West say the same. The lowest percentage of families traveling with kids under 18 will be from the Great Lakes region, with 50%.
The greatest number of Memorial Day auto travelers will originate in the West with 7.6 million travelers, followed by the Southeast with 6.9 million; Midwest, 6.8 million; Northeast, 6 million; and Great Lakes, 4.8 million.
The West is expected to produce the largest number of air travelers with 1.4 million, followed by the Midwest with 1.2 million; Southeast, 900,000; Northeast, 500,000; and Great Lakes, 400,000.
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