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Lower Fuel Costs and Plentiful Travel Bargains to Spur Slight Rebound in Memorial Day Road Trips, AAA Says

BURNSVILLE, Minn.--AAA today projected the number of Americans traveling on vacation this Memorial Day holiday weekend will increase 1.5 percent from 2008 with approximately 32.4 million travelers taking a trip of 50 or more miles away from home. Last year, 31.9 million Americans traveled during the same period; a dramatic decline from the 35.3 million travelers who vacationed in 2007.

“Last year, soaring gas prices and a deteriorating economy resulted in far fewer trips being taken than had been forecasted,” said Randy Williams, president, AAA Minnesota/Iowa. “The good news is sharply lower gasoline prices and plentiful travel bargains have Americans feeling better about taking a road trip this summer which should help tourism-based economic activity throughout the nation.” Approximately one in seven Americans is employed directly or indirectly by the hospitality and travel industry, Williams said.

AAA’s projections are based on research conducted by IHS Global Insight. The economic research and consulting firm teamed with AAA earlier this year to jointly analyze travel trends during the major holidays. AAA has been reporting on holiday travel trends for more than two decades. The complete AAA / IHS Global Insight 2009 Memorial Day holiday forecast can be found at AAA.com/news.

Average spending will top $1,000; average distance traveled will be 620 miles

The average distance traveled by Americans this Memorial Day holiday weekend is forecast to be approximately 620 miles, AAA reported. This is a slight decrease from 2008 when the average distance traveled was expected to be 640 miles. Average spending is estimated to be $1,052 this Memorial Day.

Nearly 60 percent of Americans will spend time with friends and relatives over the holiday, and traveling as a family will be the most popular way to go with 34 percent of travelers making a journey with children or other family members.

Be Prepared with ICE Cards

AAA reminds motorists to carry written emergency contact information in their vehicles and to program emergency contacts into their cell phones using an “ICE” (In Case of Emergency) designation for emergency contacts. This information helps emergency responders quickly locate vital contact information during an emergency. AAA ICE cards for motorists are available in local AAA offices or online at AAA