(The Hill) – Over 45 million Americans are anticipated to travel within the U.S. for Memorial Day, setting a new record for the holiday weekend, as predicted by AAA forecasters.
The auto club forecasts that 45.1 million individuals will journey 50 miles or more between May 22 and May 26 for Memorial Day, an increase of 1.4 million travelers compared to the same period last year.
The previous record was 44 million people, set in 2005.
According to AAA, more than 87 percent of the expected Memorial Day travelers are likely to drive to their destinations since gas prices are gradually dropping, while 8 percent are predicted to fly, and 5 percent will opt for other means of transportation such as buses, trains, or cruise ships.
All areas of travel will see increases compared to last year, the auto club’s projections show.
“Memorial Day weekend getaways don’t have to be extravagant and costly,” Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, said in a news release. “While some travelers embark on dream vacations and fly hundreds of miles across the country, many families just pack up the car and drive to the beach or take a road trip to visit friends.”
Travel has seen a steady resurgence in the U.S. following the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, but some destinations have reported recent declines in tourism, particularly among foreign travelers. Americans have also faced some ongoing concerns about air travel safety.
AAA’s review of Memorial Day travel bookings found that Orlando, Fla., is the top domestic destination for American travelers, while Rome, Italy, is the top international target as many Catholics celebrate the recent election of the first American pope, Pope Leo XIV.
