AAA Chicago Projects Slight Increase in Memorial Day Travel

AURORA, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AAA estimates 32.4 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home this holiday weekend, an increase of 1.5 percent from 2008. Last year, 31.9 million Americans traveled during the same period; a dramatic decline from the 35.3 million travelers who vacationed in 2007.

“The sharp decline in fuel costs and plentiful bargains has made travel a bit more affordable this year.”

Nearly 27 million people, or 83 percent of all holiday travelers, are expected to travel by motor vehicle. This is an increase from last Memorial Day when 26.3 million travelers paid among the highest fuel prices on record.

Approximately 2.1 million, or 7 percent of holiday travelers, plan to fly this holiday weekend. Trips by other modes, including rail, buses and watercraft, will be the dominant means of travel used by an estimated 3.3 million Americans, or 10 percent of all travelers.

“Higher fuel prices and a tough economy resulted in far fewer trips than had been forecasted last year,” said Brad Roeber, regional president of AAA Chicago. “The sharp decline in fuel costs and plentiful bargains has made travel a bit more affordable this year.”

In Illinois, nearly 1.8 million people will be traveling for the holiday weekend. Of those travelers, more than 1.5 million will be driving and 99,000 will be flying to their destination.

In Indiana, 722,000 people plan to take a trip for Memorial Day weekend. Most will be driving with 615,000 people expected on the roadways and 40,000 will be flying.

Across much of the country, motorists driving to their Memorial Day holiday destinations will find some relief at the pump with significantly lower gasoline prices from 2008. The national average for self-serve regular is $2.25 a gallon. That is $1.47 less than this time last year. In Illinois, regular unleaded gasoline averages $2.42 per gallon, which is $1.47 less than a year ago. Indiana averages $2.29 for regular unleaded, a decrease of $1.53 from last year.

The average distance traveled by Americans this Memorial Day holiday weekend is forecast to be approximately 620 miles, AAA reported. This is a slight decrease, 20 miles, from 2008. Average spending is estimated to be $1,052 this Memorial Day.

Memorial Day travelers in the East North Central region, which includes Illinois and Indiana, are expected to spend an average of $901. Accommodations and transportation will account for about half the total, with food, shopping and entertainment accounting for the remainder.

Nearly 60 percent of Americans will spend time with friends and relatives during the holiday weekend, and traveling as a family will be the most popular way to go with 34 percent of travelers taking their journey with children or other family members.

Fifty-six percent of the travelers in the East North Central region said they would be visiting family and friends as part of their trip. The next most popular activities cited were: dining (47 percent), shopping (32 percent), touring/sightseeing (28 percent), beach/waterfront (25 percent) and night life (23 percent).

According to AAA’s Leisure Travel Index, air fares over the Memorial Day holiday weekend are expected to decrease 4 percent from last year as air passengers will pay an average of $176. Car rental rates will drop lower with consumers paying an average of $43 per day, a decrease of three percent. Hotel rates for AAA Three Diamond lodgings are expected to be 12 percent less than last year with travelers spending an average of $142 per night. Travelers planning to stay at AAA Two Diamond hotels will pay an average of $104 per night, 7 percent less than a year ago.

Be prepared with ICE cards

AAA reminds motorists to carry written emergency contact information in their vehicles and to program emergency contacts into cell phones using an “ICE” (In Case of Emergency) designation for emergency contacts. This information helps emergency responders quickly locate vital contact information during an emergency. AAA ICE cards for motorists are available in local AAA branches or online at www.AAA.com.

AAA’s projections are based on research conducted by IHS Global Insight. The economic research and consulting firm teamed with AAA earlier this year to jointly analyze travel trends during major holidays. AAA has been reporting on holiday travel trends for more than two decades. The complete AAA/IHS Global Insight 2009 Memorial Day holiday forecast can be found at www.AAA.com/news.