The Travel Stats for the Weekend
Memorial Day, the U.S. federal holiday that commemorates the men and women that have died serving in the United States Armed Forces, falls on the last Monday in May, making that weekend a three-day weekend for many working Americans. And a three-day weekend on the warm end of spring means travel. Fun? Absolutely! But LOTS of travelers and LOTS of vehicles on the road.
According to the great people over at AAA, these are the travel stats we’ll be looking at this year:
- Memorial Day will see 36.1 million travelers taking trips in the U.S., a new high since the recession. This will be the second highest percentage of travelers among U.S. residents since 2000, and 2.6% higher than the 10-year historical running average.
- 31.8 million of these travelers (88%) will travel by automobile.
- 2.6 million U.S. travelers will be flying, which represents 7.2% of the total.
- Other modes of travel, including cruise ship, buses and trains will see the largest increase in transportation type, increasing 6.5% from last year to 1.7 million.
- Airfares are expected to be 6% higher than last year, hotels 2% higher and car rentals 1% higher. (Given that inflation has been over 2% year-to-year, this may actually represent a slight decrease in real costs for car rentals.)
“As the economy continues to improve at a slow and steady pace consumer spending, disposable income, consumer confidence and the employment outlook are trending up which is welcomed news for the travel industry,” says Marshall L. Doney, AAA’s Chief Operating Officer.
Keep Safe While Away From Home
While you’re out experiencing the open road, practice the following safety habits to keep yourself, your loved ones and your stuff happy, healthy and within reach.
- Perfect the backward glance – Travel is meant to be enjoyed, and living in the moment is important, but tourism and exciting experiences can be distracting. Each time you transition or stand up, check to see that you have everything you had when you sat down.
- Map it out – Route your drive on your GPS device or phone BEFORE you get on the road. Distractions from driving are not only dangerous, they make a road trip less fun.
- Sunscreen – You know why. Yes you do. Get the good stuff. It doesn’t cost that much, and it can keep you smiling all the way home.
We at RoadLoans recognize, remember and honor our men and women in uniform, and we wish all of you a safe Memorial Day weekend.
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