COLUMBUS, Ohio – An improving economy and a desire to escape after a long, bitter winter will mean record numbers of Ohioans on the roads and in the airports this Memorial Day weekend, according to the AAA.
The vast majority of travelers will drive to their destinations and gas prices are not expected to have a significant impact. A record stockpile of gasoline and an absence of production and distribution disruptions will send prices at the pump in many states lower as the holiday draws nearer, according to Michael Green, the auto club’s public relations manager.
An estimated 1.2 million Ohio travelers will travel by car this Memorial Day. The cost for a gallon of regular gas in Ohio was averaging $3.72 in Monday’s survey from auto club AAA, the Oil Price Information Service and WEX Inc. That’s 6 cents higher than the national average but 12 cents cheaper than the price a year ago.
The auto club predicts 1.34 million Ohioans will be among the 36.1 million Americans who travel at least 50 miles from home as the summer travel season gets underway, the largest number of travelers since the end of the recession.
AAA Ohio spokeswoman Kim Schwind says this represents a 0.6 percent increase in Ohio and a 1.5 percent jump nationwide
“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 welcome news for the travel industry,” AAA chief operating officer Marshall Doney said.
Airlines will reap the benefits of the improving economy as nearly 2.6 million Americans plan to travel by air this holiday, a 2.4 percent increase. That includes 73,000 Ohioans, 3.8 percent more than last year, Schwind said. As income grows, more Americans are able to purchase airline tickets, she said.
The auto club measures the Memorial Day holiday weekend from Thursday May 22 to Monday, May 26.