Fewer Memorial Day Travelers Expected this Year
Phoenix, Ariz. May 15, 2008 – For the first time in six years, AAA is predicting fewer Americans will travel over the upcoming holiday weekend compared to the previous year. The auto club’s annual Memorial Day survey revealed that an estimated 37.8 million Americans will travel 50 or more miles from home over the upcoming three-day weekend, a decrease of nearly one percent or 360,000 travelers from last year.
The club found that all modes of travel have decreased this year. Eighty-three percent, or approximately 31.7 million Americans, will travel by way of motor vehicle this Memorial Day, a one percent decrease from last year. Eleven percent, or 4.3 million travelers, plan to travel by air, a decline of 0.5 percent from last year. The remaining six percent, or 1.8 million vacationers, will travel by train, bus or other mode of transportation, which is also a slight drop from last year.
The greatest number of Memorial Day auto travelers in the country will originate in the West, including Arizona, with 7.6 million traveling by vehicle. The West is also expected to produce the largest number of air travelers with 1.3 million. However, despite leading the nation in auto and air travelers, the region is still slated to experience a slight decline from last year’s figures.
“The modest decline we are seeing in travel for the upcoming holiday can be attributed to several factors, including record high gas prices, the slowing economy and the rising costs of other goods and services,” said Public Affairs Manager Linda Gorman. “However, it is interesting to note that a significant portion of the U.S. population – 12 percent – are still planning to celebrate Memorial Day weekend away from home.”
Aside from paying record prices at the pump, Arizona travelers planning to vacation over the holiday weekend might also notice an increase in other travel related costs. According to AAA’s Leisure Travel Index, air travelers are expected to pay eight percent more for airfares than they did last Memorial Day weekend, with the average flight costing $179. Travelers renting cars over the holiday weekend will also pay about 45 percent more than they did last year, at an average rate of $45 per day. Hotel rates, on the other hand, are expected to offer travelers a bit of a break, with travelers spending an average of $162 per night, which is seven percent less than last year.
In a recent AAA Arizona online poll, located at www.AAAAZ.com, the auto club asked motorists if current gas prices are influencing their summer travel plans. While an overwhelming number of respondents admitted to postponing travel plans as a result of pump prices, nearly one-fifth of respondents said they are refusing to let the rising cost of fuel alter their summer travel plans.
Of the 476 people that have responded so far, here is what the poll revealed:
- 38 percent are postponing their travel plans until fuel prices retreat.
- 36 percent are keeping their travel plans, but have altered them in order to stay within their budget.
- 18 percent are not planning to alter their travel plans as a result of record pump prices.
- 8 percent are not planning to travel this summer regardless of gas prices.
“Should prices continue to escalate into the summer months, it is likely that we will continue to see this downward travel trend continue,” said Gorman. “However, before the majority of consumers curb their travel plans, we will see them change things within their control such as shaving a day off their vacation or traveling closer to home.”
According to AAA Arizona’s TripTik® travel planner, the ten most popular destinations for Arizona members include:
- Las Vegas, Nev.
- Albuquerque, N.M.
- San Diego, Calif.
- Denver, Colo.
- Yellowstone National Park
- Oklahoma City, Okla.
- Santa Fe, N.M.
- Flagstaff, Ariz.
- Seattle, Wash.
- Salt Lake City, Utah
AAA offers several tools that can help travelers plan and budget their fuel requirements before they head out of town. By using the AAA Fuel Cost Calculator located at www.FuelCostCalculator.com, motorists can get an estimated cost of fuel for their trip by entering the make and model of their car, as well as the origin and destination of their trip. Travelers can also use AAA’s Fuel Price Finder to find the cheapest gas along their route. Motorists who use the online mapping tool, Internet TripTik®, can also plot the cheapest gas stations along their vacation path as well.
Research for Memorial Day weekend holiday travel projections are derived from Travel Industry Association (TIA)’s Holiday Travel Forecast Model. Data is collected through an online survey of over 2,000 U.S. adults nationwide. Analysis of the data and the forecasts are produced by the Travel Industry Association, which conducts special research for AAA.
AAA Arizona, the Arizona affiliate of AAA, provides automotive, insurance and auto travel services to nearly 800,000 Arizona members. Annually, AAA’s Emergency Road Service responds to more than 450,000 calls for help on the streets and highways of the state as well as providing insurance, travel, and financial services to AAA members and motorists. Since its founding in 1927, AAA Arizona has been a leading advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. |
