Record Memorial Day Travel To Launch Summer Season, Says AAA
14 May 1997
Record Memorial Day Travel To Launch Summer Season, Says AAA
ORLANDO, Fla., May 14 -- The Memorial Day weekend --
considered by many to be the opening chapter of a sizzling summer travel
season -- is expected to produce a record number of Americans traveling this
holiday, according to AAA.
An estimated 30.8 million people are expected to travel 100 miles or more
from home this holiday -- up 2 percent from last year's high of 30.3 million
travelers.
AAA projects 27.1 million people will travel by automobile, light truck or
recreational vehicle, up from 26.7 million in 1996.
Another 3.7 million travelers plan a holiday getaway by airplane, train or
bus this year, compared to 3.6 million last year.
The greatest number of Memorial Day auto travelers will originate in the
West with 7.5 million, followed by the Midwest with 5.2; Great Lakes, 5.1
million; Northeast, 4.8 million; and Southeast, 4.5 million.
Cities and towns/rural areas will be the destinations-of-choice, capturing
25 percent and 24 percent of this year's holiday travel volume. An estimated
22 percent of travelers will head to the ocean or beach, followed by a lake,
11 percent; mountain area, 6 percent; theme/amusement park, 5 percent;
state/national park, 3 percent; other, 2 percent; and undecided, 2 percent.
Of the total Memorial Day travelers, 36 percent plan to stay at a
hotel/motel and 35 percent will stay with friends or relatives. Other
overnight plans include: camper/trailer/RV/tent, 11 percent;
cabin/condo/vacation home, 9 percent; bed and breakfast, 2 percent; boat/ship,
1 percent; and other or undecided, 5 percent. One percent do not plan to stay
overnight.
Research data for Memorial Day are based on a national telephone survey of
1,500 adults by the Travel Industry Association of America, which conducts
special research for AAA.
AAA is a not-for-profit federation of 99 clubs, providing nearly 40
million members in the United States and Canada with a full line of travel,
financial, insurance and auto-related.
PROJECTED NUMBER OF MEMORIAL DAY, 1997 TRAVELERS
BY AUTO/TRUCK/RV
BY CENSUS REGION OF RESIDENCE*
POPULATION PERCENT # TRAVELERS
(MILLIONS) TRAVELING (MILLIONS)
TOTAL U.S. 265.3 10% 27.1
NORTHEAST 51.6 9% 4.8
SOUTHEAST 63.8 7% 4.5
GREAT LAKES 43.6 12% 5.1
MIDWEST 47.8 11% 5.2
WEST 58.5 13% 7.5
*NORTHEAST: New England: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont; Middle Atlantic: New Jersey, New York,
Pennsylvania; SOUTHEAST: South Atlantic: Delaware, District of Columbia,
Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West
Virginia; East South Central: Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee;
GREAT LAKES: East North Central: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio,
Wisconsin; MIDWEST: West North Central: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri,
Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota; West South Central: Arkansas,
Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas; WEST: Mountain: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho,
Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Wyoming, Utah; Pacific: Washington, Oregon,
California.
SOURCE: Travel Industry Association of America, AAA
