1.1 Million Plan Memorial Day Travel, Says AAA Travel Survey

Travel bargains and pent-up demand drive slight increase

DEARBORN, Mich., May 12 -- An estimated 1.1 million Michiganians will travel during the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, launching the start of the 2009 summer travel season, says AAA Michigan. According to a national survey conducted for AAA by IHS Global Insight, lower fuel prices and travel bargains will contribute to a small-but-psychologically-significant uptick in travel for Michigan during the Memorial Day holiday - about 0.6 percent higher than last year.

"Michigan gas prices are currently $2.31, about 39-percent lower than last year at this time," said Claire Lockley, vice president of Travel for The Auto Club Group (ACG), which includes AAA Michigan. "And due to challenging economic conditions, travelers can readily find bargains on many destinations and will take advantage of them."

Of Michigan's 1.1 million travelers, 86 percent will be driving this year, while 5.5 percent will fly. The number of people flying is down from last year when 8.2 percent flew and 88 percent of travelers drove in their cars. The number of travelers using alternative forms of transportation other than car or plane rose from 3.8 percent in 2008 to 8.5 percent in 2009.

According to AAA, Americans will log an average 620 mile round trip during the Memorial Day holiday, slightly less than last year.

Memorial Day travelers in the East North Central region, which includes Michigan, are expected to spend an average of $901 this holiday weekend. Accommodations and transportation will account for about half the total, with food, shopping and entertainment accounting for the remainder.

Memorial Day weekend continues to have a family theme. Fifty-six percent of travelers in the East North Central region said they would be visiting family and friends as part of their trip. The next most popular activities cited were: dining (47 percent), shopping (32 percent), touring/sightseeing (28 percent), beach/waterfront (25 percent) and night life (23 percent).

For Michigan AAA members, the 10 most popular driving destinations in Michigan (based on TripTik reports) are:

           1)   Mackinaw City/Mackinac Island
           2)   Traverse City
           3)   Frankenmuth/Birch Run
           4)   Boyne Mountain
           5)   Dearborn (The Henry Ford and Museum)
           6)   Munising
           7)   Sault St. Marie
           8)   Dundee
           9)   Saugatuck/Douglas
          10)   Lansing

For Michigan AAA members, the 10 most popular driving destinations throughout the United States are:

           1)   Chicago                      IL
           2)   Niagara Falls                ON
           3)   Myrtle Beach                 SC
           4)   Washington                   DC
           5)   Gatlinburg                   TN
           6)   Cleveland                    OH
           7)   Mackinaw City                MI
           8)   Yellowstone National Park    WY
           9)   Nashville                    TN
          10)   Orlando                      FL

The 78-hour Memorial Day weekend officially begins: 6 p.m., Friday, May 22 and ends 11:59 p.m., Monday, May 25.

During Memorial Day weekend in 2008, 11 people were killed in 11 fatal crashes, a slight decrease from the 12 killed in 10 fatal crashes in 2007. Two of the victims were not wearing seat belts. Alcohol was a factor in two of the fatal crashes.

This year, Michigan law enforcement agencies will focus extra attention on unbuckled motorists to make this the safest Memorial Day on record. The Auto Club advises motorists to plan ahead and allow extra time to navigate construction areas on the state's highways.

For traffic and detour information, motorists can call 1-800-411-4823. Or, before leaving, check the AAA Michigan Web site, www.aaatraffic.com, for updated traffic information.

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.com/ICE.