AAA Forecasts Record Fourth of July Travel
Indianapolis, IN (June
26, 2007) –
Independence Day falls on a Wednesday this year, and while
Americans will be adjusting their vacation plans, they will
travel nonetheless. AAA estimates that a record 41.1 million
Americans will leave home this holiday week (June 29 to July
8), 0.8 percent more than the 40.8 million who traveled last
year.
This year’s increase is
lower than last year’s increase, in part, because July 4,
2006 fell on a Tuesday and many Americans could not pass up
an opportunity to leave town for a four-day weekend.
According to a AAA survey,
Fourth of July travelers intend to spend the entire week on
their holiday trip this year. In fact, most travelers plan
to leave Friday, June 29 or before (37.9 percent). (See
chart below.)
Approximately 34.7 million
travelers (84 percent) expect to go by motor vehicle, a 0.7
percent increase from the 34.5 million who drove a year ago.
Another 4.7 million (11
percent) plan to travel by airplane, up 3.5 percent from the
4.5 million that flew last Fourth of July. A projected 1.7
million vacationers (4 percent) will go by train, bus, or
other mode of transportation.
Holiday auto travelers will find nationwide gas prices down
approximately 23 cents from a month ago but about 14 cents
higher than at this time last year.
AAA’s Leisure Travel Index shows hotel rates are up a bit,
averaging 5 percent more for AAA-rated Three Diamond
facilities than last year. Car rental rates are also higher;
approximately 3 percent more than at this time in 2006.
Airfares however are a welcome 12 percent lower than Fourth
of July 2006.
The greatest number of Fourth of July auto travelers will
originate in the Southeast with 8.9 million, followed by the
West with 8.6 million; Midwest, 6.6 million; Northeast, 5.8
million; and Great Lakes, 4.7 million.
The West is expected to produce the largest number of air
travelers with 1.8 million, followed by the Midwest and
Southeast at 800,000 each; Northeast, 700,000; and Great
Lakes, 500,000.
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. In fact, of
households with children, 66 percent of survey respondents
say they plan on bringing their kids along during their
Fourth of July vacation.
** Among households with children.
Research for holiday travel is based on a national
telephone survey of 1,950 adults by the Travel Industry
Association of America, which conducts special research for
AAA.
AAA
AAA Hoosier Motor Club is a fully tax-paying, not-for-profit
corporation offering a wide range of member services. The
405,000-member affiliate of the American Automobile
Association (AAA) works for the improvement of motoring and
traveling conditions in the state of Indiana. AAA is the
largest motoring and traveling organization in the world
with more than 50 million members.
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