Nearly 43 million Americans are expected to travel this Independence Day weekend, AAA predicts.
That would be the highest Fourth of July travel volume on record and tops Memorial Day weekend travel by five million. The busy travel period comes amid increasing security concerns globally in the wake of terrorist attacks in Turkey, Belgium, France and Orlando, Fla.
“Spurred by the lowest gas prices since 2005, more people than ever are planning to travel this Independence Day weekend,” AAA President and CEO Marshall Doney said in a news release. “Whether they’re traveling by car, plane, train, or cruise ship, it will be exciting to see so many Americans celebrating our nation’s freedom with their friends and family over the long holiday weekend.
“We are well on our way for 2016 to be a record-breaking year for summertime travel,” Doney added. “This trend is welcome news for the travel industry and a sign that Americans are taking to our nation’s highways and skies like never before.”
Lower gas prices are at least a contributing factor to the uptick in the number of travelers. At $2.31 per gallon, the national average price for a gallon of gasoline is 47 cents less than a year ago and the lowest Independence Day price since 2005.
Most travelers this holiday (roughly 84 percent) will drive, according to AAA. The number of people flying is expected to increase 2.2 percent (to 3.3 million Americans) from a year ago, while the number of people taking a train or bus is predicted to increase by 2 percent (to 3.3 million) over last year.