HOUSTON, TX -- (MARKET WIRE) -- May 21, 2007 -- Gas prices may be keeping them closer to home,
but nearly 3.55 million Texans are expected to take trips this Memorial Day
weekend -- a 1.1 percent increase compared to last year, according to AAA
Texas.
Nearly 83 percent of Texas travelers, or 2.94 million people, will travel
by car to their destinations this weekend, which is a 1.2 percent increase
over the 2.9 million car travelers in 2006. More than 517,000 people
statewide are expected to fly to their holiday getaways, which is one-half
of one percent more than last year's nearly 515,000 air travelers.
Nationally, 38.3 million Americans are expected to travel this Memorial Day
weekend -- a 1.7 percent increase over last year.
"The growth rate in Memorial Day travel is lower than the state's annual
population growth rate, which could indicate that gas prices have reached
levels that are impacting people's decisions to take trips," said AAA Texas
spokesperson Rose Rougeau. "Many of our members are booking holiday trips
that are just short drives away."
According to a survey of AAA Travel, the most popular destinations for
Texas travelers this weekend will be:
1) San Antonio
2) National Parks - Western states
3) Branson
4) Las Vegas
5) Colorado
According to a national holiday travel survey conducted on behalf of AAA,
the average Texas household will spend $388 on a Memorial Day getaway,
while households nationally will pay an average of $594.
The AAA survey also estimates that 63 percent of Texas Memorial Day
travelers will be taking their trips with at least two other members of
their household.
With gas prices near $3 a gallon in almost every region of Texas, many
travelers are concerned about how much to budget for gasoline on their
trips. Families who want to estimate the fuel costs for their holiday trip
can use AAA's online tool,
www.fuelcostcalculator.com.
Contact Information: Contact:
Rose Rougeau
(713) 284-6552