Slight drop in travel expected over holiday weekend

AAA Travel projects 34.8 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from home this Memorial Day weekend, a 0.9 percent decrease from the 35.1 million people who traveled last year.

The anticipated decline in holiday travel is predominately due to a decline in air travel of 8 percent, fee fatigue among travelers and a waffling economy.

Highlights from 2013 Memorial Day Travel Forecast include:

Eighty-nine percent of travelers (31.2 million) to travel by automobile, an increase from 31.1 million last year

Holiday air travel expected to decrease eight percent to 2.3 million from 2.5 million in 2012

Memorial Day holiday travel volume is expected to remain above the 12-year historical average of 34.7 million

Median spending is expected to decrease more than 6 percent to $659, compared to $702 in 2012 with transportation costs consuming about 28 cents of every travel dollar.

Travelers intend to journey an average of 690 miles which is higher than last year’s average of 642 miles.

A survey of intended travelers found that gasoline prices would have no impact on plans for 62 percent of travelers. Of the remaining 38 percent of travelers who said gas prices would impact their travel plans, 27 percent plan to economize in other areas. Eight percent are planning to take a shorter trip and 3 percent will travel by an alternate mode of transportation.