65 Million Travelers Expected, Despite Higher Vacation Costs
Phoenix, Ariz., December 17, 2007 – Across the state and country, Americans are preparing to head out of town in droves this holiday season, despite higher vacation costs nearly across the board. According to AAA’s annual Christmas-New Year’s travel survey, an estimated 65.2 million Americans will travel “over the river and through the woods” – and at least 50 or more miles from home during the holidays, an increase of 0.7 percent over last year. Nearly 16.0 million of these travelers will originate from the West, including Arizona.
According to AAA’s Leisure Travel Index, vacation costs for the upcoming holidays are well above last year’s levels. The average price for an airline ticket is up 16 percent during the week of Christmas and nine percent during the week of New Year’s. Additionally, hotel rates have climbed four and nine percent, respectively, when compared to Christmas and New Year’s a year ago. The only area of relief for travelers comes by way of lower car rental rates. Those renting a vehicle during the week of Christmas will find prices four percent less than last year and 13 percent less if renting a vehicle during the week of New Year’s. Drivers will also pay approximately 64 cents more per gallon to fill up this year.
Nationally, approximately 53.0 million travelers (81 percent of all holiday travelers) expect to travel by motor vehicle, a 0.9 percent increase from one year ago. 13.2 million of these auto travelers will journey from the West, the second largest number of auto travelers from any region.
Another 8.9 million people (13.7 percent of travelers) plan to travel by air, a slight decrease of 0.3 percent from last year. 2.5 million of these vacationers are expected to come from the West, which is also the second largest number of air travelers from any region. The remaining 3.3 million travelers will go by train, bus or other mode of transportation.
“The roadways and airports will stay busy across the upcoming holidays as Arizonans visit family, friends and enjoy their winter vacations,” said Linda Gorman, public affairs manager for AAA Arizona. “With more people planning to drive than fly, it is important for motorists to make sure their vehicle is prepared for their upcoming trek. Last year, our emergency roadside service responded to nearly 8,500 stranded motorists in the state between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day. We strongly encourage motorists to pack an emergency car care kit and to get a pre-trip check-up before heading out of town, if possible.”
According to AAA Arizona’s TripTik® travel planner, the ten most popular destinations for Arizona travelers include:
- Las Vegas
- San Diego
- Tucson
- Phoenix
- Flagstaff
- Dallas
- Albuquerque
- Nashville
- Denver
- Sedona
The travel survey also revealed that the largest share of Christmas travelers will leave on Friday, December 21st. The second most popular day for departure will be Wednesday, December 19th.
With statewide fuel prices averaging over 64 cents more than this time last year, motorists can visit www.AAAAZ.com/news for the latest fuel price information and gas saving tips and go to www.AAA.com/fuelfinder to locate the station with the cheapest gas in their neighborhood or along their vacation route. They can also visit AAA’s Fuel Cost Calculator at www.fuelcostcalculator.com, which can help drivers plan out their fuel costs so they can budget their travel expenses in advance. Additionally, they can use the online mapping tool, Internet TripTik®, which can also plot the cheapest gas stations along their travel route.
Research for Christmas-New Year’s holiday travel is based on a national web survey of 2,200 adults by the Travel Industry Association of America.
AAA Arizona, the Arizona affiliate of AAA, provides automotive, insurance and auto travel services to nearly 775,000 Arizona members. Annually, AAA’s Emergency Road Service responds to more than 450,000 calls for help on the streets and highways of the state as well as providing insurance, travel, and financial services to AAA members and motorists. Since its founding in 1927, AAA Arizona has been a leading advocate for the safety and security of all travelers.
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