Confident Americans Set Sights on 2003 Travel, AAA Survey Shows

    ORLANDO, Fla.--Dec. 19, 2002--Seventy-one percent of Americans plan to travel at least as much or more in 2003 as they did this year and 60 percent believe the struggling U.S. economy will be stronger next year than it is today, according to a new AAA survey.
    Seventy-eight percent of survey respondents said they would spend as much or more on their longest vacation next year as they did this year while 7 percent stated they would spend somewhat less and only 7 percent planned to spend a lot less. Another 8 percent weren't sure.
    "This is certainly good news for a travel industry that was stung badly by the events of 9/11 and then further hindered by sluggish economic conditions the last two years," said AAA Travel Vice President Sandra Hughes. "Travelers willing to spend their discretionary dollars on a vacation trip should have a significant impact on the U.S. economy next year."
    Surprising, more than half of those surveyed (52 percent) said they would travel the same next year as they did this year if the U.S. goes to war with Iraq. Seventeen percent would travel somewhat less and 23 percent expected to travel a lot less. Only 4 percent would travel more while another 4 percent weren't sure.
    The national survey, conducted by Opinion Research Corp. from Dec. 5-8, sampled the opinions of more than 1,000 U.S. adults who had taken a leisure trip in the last 12 months. The margin of error for the survey is plus or minus 3.1 percent.
    Car travel continues to be the most popular choice as 47 percent of Americans will take their longest vacation in 2003 by motor vehicle and another 11 percent will combine a fly and drive trip. One-quarter of respondents said they would travel by airplane and 6 percent expect to take a cruise. Eleven percent either didn't know or would take some other type of trip.
    "The fact that 36 percent of leisure travelers planned to fly to their destination or combine a fly-drive vacation is a very positive sign for an airline industry that has struggled mightily," Hughes said.
    When asked to rate what factors might influence their decision to travel in the next 12 months, 37 percent of respondents cited a potential terrorist attack and another 33 percent said the possibility of war with Iraq. Airfare and gasoline costs, at 33 percent and 31 percent, respectively, were the next biggest factors. Thirty percent felt the need to get away would be a factor. (Respondents could choose more than one influencing factor.)
    As North America's largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides its 45 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers.