Fourth of July travel up despite midweek timing

DENVER, June 29- Independence Day falling in the middle of the week will not be a deterrent for travelers this upcoming holiday. Instead, more people are traveling for Independence Day this year than ever before.

AAA estimates that a record 41.1 million Americans will leave home this holiday week (June 29 to July 8), which is .08 percent more than the 40.8 million who traveled last year.

"Despite the Fourth of July falling in the middle of the week, our stats are showing that people are as determined as ever to take a trip," says Sandra Barnes, AAA Colorado's Director of Travel.

"Additionally, the recent retreat of gasoline prices could be one of the factors that influences many Coloradans to travel," says Barnes. The average gasoline price in Colorado has dropped 20 cents since hitting the all-time record of $3.34 per gallon for regular unleaded on May 24. However, compared to last year, the average regular unleaded gasoline price is up 28 cents.

AAA's Leisure Travel Index shows some vacation costs are up from Fourth of July 2006, while others have dropped significantly.

• Hotel rates nationally are up nearly 5 percent compared to last year for AAA-rated Three Diamond hotels.
• In Colorado, average rates for Three Diamond hotels are up 32 percent, from $111 to $146.
• Airfares have dropped considerably on average, 12 percent lower than Fourth of July 2006 nationally.
• Car rental rates are down in Denver an average of 18 percent from $57 last year to $47 this year.
• Nationally, car rental rates are up 3 percent.

"As usual, vacationers will benefit from making travel plans as early as possible to receive more travel options and often lower rates," says Barnes.

Where are Coloradans heading this upcoming Fourth of July? According to bookings through AAA Colorado (one of Colorado's largest travel agencies), the top five in-state destinations are Denver, Colorado Springs, Alamosa, Durango and Vail. The top five out-of-state destinations for Coloradans are Las Vegas, San Francisco, Orange County (Disneyland), Orlando (DisneyWorld) and Seattle (cruises).

According to a AAA survey, many Fourth of July travelers intend to spend the entire week on their holiday trip this year. The largest share of Fourth of July travelers (37.9 percent) are planning to leave Friday, June 29 or before.

Fourth of July is the busiest travel period of the summer since schools are not in session and many families take the opportunity to go on vacation with their kids. Sixty-six percent of households with children say they plan on bringing their kids along on their Fourth of July vacation.

Research for holiday travel is based on a national survey of 1,950 adults by the Travel Industry Association, which conducts special research for AAA.

AAA Colorado has more than 500,000 members in Colorado and is an advocate for safety and security for all travelers. As North America's largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides nearly 50 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services, as well as member-exclusive savings. AAA can be visited on the Internet at www.aaa.com.

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