Lazaro Aleman
ECB Publishing, Inc.
If you’re planning a trip for the coming Memorial Day Weekend, you’re not alone. You will in fact be among the estimated 2.4 million Floridians projected to travel 50 miles or more from home for the holiday, making for a record high, according to the American Automotive Association (AAA).
The 2.4 million, the AAA reports, is 172 more than traveled last year and 96,000 more than traveled in pre-pandemic 2019.
Record highs, in fact, are predicted for both the auto and air travel categories in Florida. According to the AAA, an estimated 2.1 million Floridians will drive, which is an increase of 137,000 over last year. And an estimated 208,000 are forecast to fly, representing 25,000 more passengers than last Memorial Day.
“Memorial Day weekend is the kickoff to what promises to be a very busy summer travel season,” said Debbie Haas, vice president of travel for AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Despite various inflationary pressures, consumer spending is strong, and Americans still want to travel. Because of that, we’ve seen demand come roaring back, beyond pre-pandemic levels in Florida.”
For purposes of the forecast, the Memorial Day holiday travel period is defined as the five-day period from Thursday, May 25, to Monday May 29, according to the AAA.
The travel projections, however, are slightly different at the national level. Although a record number of people are expected to travel across the U.S. for the Memorial Day holiday, the overall numbers are still expected to be below the pre-pandemic levels.
The AAA’s projections call for a total of 42.4 million Americans to travel 50 or more miles from home on the Memorial weekend, representing 2.7 million more travelers than last year, but fewer than that the 42.8 million reported in 2019.
In terms of air travel, however, the AAA reports that despite higher ticker prices, demand continues soaring. The AAA, in fact, predicts the strongest air travel numbers since 2005.
“Nearly 3.4 million travelers are expected to fly for the holiday weekend,” the AAA forecasts. “That’s 33,700 more passengers than last year and 170,000 more than 2019.”
Auto travel, however, remains the preferred mode of transportation for holiday travelers, according to the AAA. The organization is predicting that an estimated 37.1 million Americans will drive to their destination. Which is two million more than last year, but 500,000 fewer than in 2019.
Meanwhile, there is good news for Florida drivers, as gasoline prices in the state continue declining due to a weakness in the oil market, attributed to domestic economic concerns.
"It's looking like Florida drivers will spend a dollar per gallon less for gasoline than they did last Memorial Day weekend," Mark Jenkins, spokesman for AAA - The Auto Club Group, said on Monday, May 22, noting that the average per gallon price of gas had dropped 38 cents during the past 30 days. "The state average should trickle even lower this week. However, even if pump prices do suddenly rise this week, it's unlikely to be by a large margin.”