COLUMBUS, Ohio – Greater confidence in the economy is prompting Ohioans to hit the road during the Independence Day holiday period in numbers not seen since the onset of the recession, according to the AAA.
The auto club predicts that 1.67 million Ohioans will be among the 41 million Americans who will travel at least 50 miles from home between Wednesday and July 6. This is a 1.9 percent increase over last year nationwide and a 1.7 percent hike for Ohio.
After several years of belt-tightening, a brightening employment picture and rising home values have prompted many people to feel more comfortable about taking on credit card debt, according to the AAA’s chief operating officer.
“Steady improvement in the economy has spurred increased consumer confidence and spending. Optimistic Americans are more willing to take on debt this year, dusting off their credit cards to pay for a much-needed Independence Day getaway,” Marshall Doney says.
The vast majority of travelers — 1.46 million in Ohio and 34.8 million nationwide — will drive to their destinations this Independence Day. This is the highest volume since 2007.
That is in spite of gas prices that are at their highest summer levels in years, which auto club analysts say will prompt some travelers to cut back in other areas, such as activities or dining.
The average price of gas on July 4, 2013, was $3.40 in Ohio, but was above $3.60 heading into the weekend prior to the holiday period. Although Ohio was one of five states that saw dramatic price declines, that drop was from a dizzying height at the beginning of June, so even a 13-cent drop in a single week left the price of a gallon still more expensive than a year ago.
Violence by an Islamist militant group has continued to threaten oil production in Iraq, forcing global oil prices higher, making it more expensive to produce gasoline, AAA public relations manager Michael Green said.
Fliers will find themselves paying discounted fare for the top 40 U.S. routes that is about five percent lower than last summer and the room rates for the auto club’s top-rated hotels are averaging 9-15 percent higher than in 2013.