Skiing, Sunbathing or Visiting Grandma, 4.4 Million Southern Californians Plan Holiday Trips, According to Auto Club
19 December 2000
Skiing, Sunbathing or Visiting Grandma, 4.4 Million Southern Californians Plan Holiday Trips, According to Auto Club
LOS ANGELES--Dec. 19, 2000--More than 5.2 million Californians, and 3.2 million Southern Californians, will travel the state's freeways and roads on their way to long-distance December holiday destinations, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California.When air, bus, train and cruise trips are included, about 7 million Californians -- 4.4 million of them from Southern California -- are projected to travel to holiday destinations at least 100 miles from home. More than one in four travelers will arrive at their destinations by plane, bus, train or ship, according to AAA projections.
Nationally, the number of Christmas travelers falls short of the records set in 1997 and 1998, but represents a 4 percent increase over 1999. According to a national survey conducted for AAA, 60.6 million Americans are expected to take long-distance trips, compared with 58.3 million in 1999. The record for December holiday travelers was set in 1998, when 62.6 million Americans took long-distance trips.
According to a survey of Auto Club travel agents, the most popular destinations for Southern Californians this holiday season are:
1. Hawaii
2. Lake Tahoe
3. Aspen, Colo.
4. Mammoth Lakes
5. Mexico
"The popularity of these tourist destinations over the holidays demonstrates that Christmas travel involves much more than visiting relatives," said Tim Irwin, the Auto Club's vice president for travel. "For many Southern Californians, the December holiday period presents a rare vacation opportunity, and this season is almost as popular as the summer months for family vacation bookings."
Typically, auto travel over the Christmas holidays is less congested than that of other holiday periods because motorists spread out their trips over a two-week period, said Auto Club spokeswoman Carol Thorp. But because Christmas falls on a Monday this year, drivers should anticipate the usual three-day-weekend congestion on Friday and Monday.
"In general, drivers should prepare themselves for the possibility of delays, especially on the freeways leading out of Southern California and roads leading toward major airports," Thorp said.
Holiday auto travelers will pay much more than last year to fill up at the pump before they leave, according to the Auto Club's December fuel price survey. The average price for regular unleaded in Southern California was $1.70, 28 cents higher than last year's average December price and 50 cents higher than the December 1998 average.
This month's average is still lower than the record gas prices set in September of this year, when unleaded prices averaged $1.81 a gallon.
The Automobile Club of Southern California, the largest affiliate of the AAA, has been serving members since 1900. Today, the Auto Club's members benefit by the organization's emergency road service, insurance products and services, travel agency, financial products, automotive pricing, buying and financing programs, automotive testing and analysis, trip planning services, highway and transportation safety programs and legislative advocacy.
Information about these products and services is available on the Auto Club's Web site at www.aaa-calif.com.