4th of July Travel Drops Among Arizonans for the First Time in 7 Years
Phoenix, Ariz. June 26, 2008 –
For the first time this decade, AAA is predicting fewer Americans will travel over the upcoming Fourth of July weekend. The auto club’s annual Independence Day travel survey revealed that an estimated 40.4 million Americans will travel 50 or more miles from home over the upcoming holiday weekend, a decrease of just over one percent or 550,000 less travelers from last year.
Locally, the West, including Arizona, is slated to produce the largest number of overall travelers with 10.5 million traveling from home, a decrease of nearly one percent from last year. Of these, 8.5 million will be traveling by automobile or RV while 1.7 million, will journey by air. The last time the West experienced a drop in Independence Day travel was in 2001.
According to AAA, all modes of travel have decreased over last year. Eighty-five percent, or approximately 34.2 million Americans, will travel by way of motor vehicle this holiday weekend, while 11 percent, or 4.5 million travelers, plan to travel by air. The remaining four percent, or 1.7 million vacationers, will travel by train, bus or other mode of transportation.
“$4 per gallon gas prices are the primary reason why we are forecasting fewer travelers for the second holiday this summer,” said AAA Arizona Public Affairs Manager Linda Gorman. “However, it is important to note that a significant amount of the population is still planning to head out of town for the holiday. In fact, we are predicting that 13 percent of the U.S. population and 15 percent of the population from the Western states will travel over the upcoming holiday weekend.”
The table below illustrates the number of holiday travelers and the change in travelers over Independence Day 2007:
Fourth of July
2008 |
Number of Overall Travelers (Millions) |
Number of Auto Travelers (Millions) |
Number of Air
Travelers (Millions) |
Total United States |
40.4 |
34.2 |
4.5 |
Change From Last Year (U.S.) |
-1.3 percent |
-1.2 percent |
-2.3 percent |
Total West (including Arizona) |
10.5 |
8.5 |
1.7 |
Change from Last Year (West) |
-0.8 percent |
-0.4 percent |
-3.2 percent |
“As a result of this being the first travel holiday in history where fuel prices across most of the country are above $4 per gallon, the travel industry has responded by creating several discounts, promotions and incentives to boost their business over the upcoming holiday and remainder of the summer,” said Gorman. “We encourage travelers to seek out and take advantage of these deals, which include free gas cards and parking, breakfast promotions, kids-eat-free deals, car rental discounts as well as AAA member discounts.”
Aside from paying record prices at the pump, travelers planning to set out for the Fourth of July holiday might also observe an increase in other travel related costs. According to AAA’s Leisure Travel Index, air travelers are expected to pay 13 percent more for airfares than they did last Independence Day, with the average flight costing $202. Travelers renting cars over the holiday weekend will also pay about 12 percent more than they did last year, at an average rate of $49 per day for an intermediate sized rental. Hotel rates, on the other hand, are expected to remain unchanged from last year’s holiday weekend, with travelers spending an average of $114 per night for a AAA Two Diamond rated hotel and $156 per night for a AAA Three Diamond rated hotel.
With airfares 13 percent higher over last year and many carriers tacking on additional fees for luggage, AAA Arizona recently asked travelers how they are adapting to new baggage fees in an online poll.
Of the 456 people that responded, here is what the poll revealed:
- 55 percent are selecting a carrier that does not tack on additional fees.
- 23 percent are packing lighter or bringing a larger carry-on.
- 9 percent are changing their trip plans.
- 7 percent are planning to pay to the additional fees.
- 7 percent are adapting in other ways, including driving rather than flying, not traveling at all or shipping their items to/from their destination.
According to AAA Arizona’s TripTik® travel planner, the ten most popular drive destinations for Arizona members include:
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Albuquerque, New Mexico
- San Diego, California
- Denver, Colorado
- Yellowstone National Park
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Flagstaff, Arizona
- Santa Fe, New Mexico
- Branson, Missouri
- Salt Lake City, Utah
AAA offers several tools that can help travelers plan and budget their fuel requirements before they head out of town. By using the AAA Fuel Cost Calculator located at www.FuelCostCalculator.com, motorists can get an estimated cost of fuel for their trip by entering the make and model of their car, and the origin and destination of their trip. Travelers can also use AAA’s Fuel Price Finder to find the cheapest gas along their route. Motorists who use the online mapping tool, Internet TripTik®, can also plot the cheapest gas stations along their route as well.
Research for Fourth of July weekend holiday travel projections are derived from Travel Industry Association (TIA)’s Holiday Travel Forecast Model. Data is collected through an online survey of over 2,000 U.S. adults nationwide. Analysis of the data and the forecasts are produced by the Travel Industry Association, which conducts special research for AAA.
AAA Arizona, the Arizona affiliate of AAA, provides automotive, insurance and auto travel services to nearly 800,000 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. |
