COLUMBUS, Ohio – More than 1.4 million Ohioans will be among the nearly 35 million Americans who travel during the Labor Day holiday weekend, according to the AAA.
The auto club predicts Labor Day holiday travel to reach a new post-recession high thanks to greater consumer confidence and willingness among Americans to pull out their credit cards to cover their expenses.
The 34.7 million Americans and 1.44 million Ohioans who will travel at least 50 miles from home between Aug. 28 and Monday Sept. 1 is an increase of 1.3 percent nationwide and 0.5 percent for Ohio from last year, the auto club said.
In spite of stagnant income growth and a slow recovery, consumer spending has been on the rise and Americans are feeling more comfortable relying on credit cards to pay for their Labor Day trip.
In addition, historical data shows that when the long holiday weekend starts in August, more people tend to travel.
Gas prices, which are at their lowest levels for an August in years, won’t be a factor for the 1.3 million Ohioans who take to the road for their getaways.
Air travel, which has slowed this year along with overall economic growth, will pick up slightly compared to 2013. AAA expects 2.65 million Americans to fly, a 1 percent increase, and more than 55,000 Ohioans, which is 1.6 percent more. This is the third consecutive year that air travel has increased for Labor Day.