COLUMBUS, Ohio – Lower gasoline prices and a recovering economy will result in more travelers on the highways and in the nation’s airports this Memorial Day weekend than any time in the last decade, according to the AAA.
The auto club predicts expects 37.2 million Americans, including nearly 1.45 million Ohioans, will travel at least 50 miles from home between May 21 and May 25, an increase of 4.7 percent and the highest volume of travelers during the summer’s first major holiday weekend since 2005, when 44 million people left home.
“We did see travel drop by about 25 percent when the recession hit in 2008 and 2009 and we’ve been slowly climbing back since then,” said Kim Schwind, spokeswoman for AAA Ohio. “Travel is based on the overall economic health and it can certainly help boost the economy in addition to that.”
The lowest retail gas prices in years are undoubtedly one of the things that is prompting nearly 33 million Americans and 1.3 million Ohio travelers to say they will drive to their destinations
“That’s given people some more disposable income and more consumer confidence out there so they’re willing to go out and spend some of this extra money on travel,” Schwind said.
A AAA gas price index survey taken last week showed 60 percent of motorists said they would be more likely to take a road trip during 2015 if gas prices remain near recent levels, Schwind said.
Lower fuel prices are impacting air travel as well, with domestic air fares dipping approximately 2 percent this year, sparking a 2.4 percent increase in air travel nationally.
The flip side of the coin, however, is that car rental and hotel rates are higher, taking advantage of the increased demand.