Despite Negative Influences Memorial Day May Surpass Last Year's Travel

    ORLANDO, Fla.--May 17, 2001--Despite the sluggish economy and record gasoline prices, travel during the upcoming Memorial Day holiday may surpass last year's record volume by a slight margin, AAA said today.
    AAA's annual Memorial Day holiday survey projects that 34.2 million Americans plan to travel 50 miles or more from home, up less than 1 percent from last year's 34.1 million.
    Approximately 28.5 million people plan to travel by motor vehicle, also up less than 1 percent from the 28.4 million who drove a year ago. Another 5.7 million travelers expect to go by airplane, train or bus, the same number as last Memorial Day holiday.
    "We don't expect today's economic uncertainty and high gas prices to keep travelers from taking their traditional Memorial Day vacations," said AAA Travel Vice President Sandra Hughes. "Americans may not be in a big spending mood, but they will be in the mood to travel."
    The greatest number of Memorial Day auto travelers will originate in the West with 6.8 million, followed by the Midwest with 6.2 million; Southeast, 6.1 million; Northeast, 5.1 million; and Great Lakes, 4.3 million.
    Towns and rural areas are the destinations of choice this year with 26 percent of the holiday travel volume. Other destinations include cities, 22 percent; oceans/beaches, 17 percent; lakes, 14 percent; mountains, 7 percent; state/national parks, 5 percent; and theme/amusement parks, 5 percent. Another 4 percent responded with other/don't know/no response.
    Of the total Memorial Day travelers, the majority, 41 percent, plan to stay at a hotel/motel and another 29 percent will stay with friends or relatives. Other overnight plans include: camper/trailer/RV/tent, 12 percent; cabin/condo, 9 percent; bed and breakfast, 2 percent; boat/ship, 1 percent; and other/don't know/no response, 6 percent.
    Research for Memorial Day travel is based on a national telephone survey of 1,300 adults by the Travel Industry Association of America, which conducts special research for AAA.

           Projected Number of Memorial Day, 2001 Travelers
                        By Automobile/Truck/RV
                    By Census Region of Residence(A)

                                              2001           2001
                                  2001       Percent    Number of Auto
                               Population   Traveling      Travelers
                               (Millions)    by Auto      (Millions)
                               -----------  ----------  --------------
Total United States              277.9        10.2%          28.5
Northeast                         52.1         9.7%           5.0
Southeast                         67.8         9.0%           6.1
Great Lakes                       44.9         9.7%           4.3
Midwest                           50.2        12.3%           6.2
West                              63.0        10.8%           6.8

    (A) 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.