More Americans traveling for Memorial Day after hard winter

AAA SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND predicts that the number of people traveling for Memorial Day weekend this year will increase 1.5 percent to 36.1 million compared with last year. Eighty-eight percent of those travelers, or 31.8 million people, will travel by automobile. / COURTESY AAA SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND
AAA SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND predicts that the number of people traveling for Memorial Day weekend this year will increase 1.5 percent to 36.1 million compared with last year. Eighty-eight percent of those travelers, or 31.8 million people, will travel by automobile. / COURTESY AAA SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND

PROVIDENCE – Approximately 36.1 million Americans will travel from home during Memorial Day weekend, an increase of 1.5 percent over last year’s 35.5 million travelers, AAA Southern New England estimates.

“As we enter into the summer travel season with warmer temperatures, thoughts of historic cold are still fresh in the minds of Americans in many parts of the country,” said Lloyd P. Albert, AAA Southern New England’s senior vice president of public and government affairs. “The winter blues appear to have given Americans the travel bug, as travel for the holiday is expected to hit a new post-recession high.”

The 2014 forecast of 36.1 million travelers represents a 2.6 increase compared with the 10-year historical average and the second-highest travel volume since 2000. The highest, 44 million travelers, was recorded in 2005.

Eighty-eight percent of Memorial Day weekend travelers, or 31.8 million people, will travel by automobile, AAA said, and drivers this year will pay gas prices similar to or below the 2013 Memorial Day average of $3.63 per gallon. With many plans already made and budgets set, gas price fluctuations are unlikely to have a significant impact on travel plans, according to AAA.

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In addition, AAA predicted a 2.4 percent increase in air travel over the holiday weekend, totaling 2.6 million travelers, and a 6.5 percent increase in the number of people traveling by cruise, trains and buses. Airfares and accommodations are slightly more expensive this year compared with last year, AAA said; the average cost of air travel rose 6 percent this year over 2013, while hotel room prices rose 2 percent.

“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,” said Albert.

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