JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – AAA says the agency can’t predict how many Americans will travel for Memorial Day weekend this year. AAA said the accuracy of the economic data used to create the prediction has been undermined by COVID-19.
However, anecdotal reports suggest fewer people will hit the road compared to years past for what is considered the unofficial start of the summer travel season.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to recommend that Americans stay home and avoid nonessential travel.
The annual forecast is expected to return next year.
In February AAA reported some 173 million Americans had booked summer travel plans. Of those, 90 percent were US-based destinations.
A wrench was thrown in the plan when the coronavirus pandemic forced many to cancel or change plans.
In 2019, 43 million Americans traveled for Memorial Day. It was the second-highest travel on record since AAA began tracking in 2000. The record year for the lowest travel was set in 2009 on the heels of The Great Recession.
For Americans who are opting to travel there is some good news. Prices at the pump are lowest they’ve been for a Memorial Day weekend in nearly two decades.
Nationwide averages for a gallon of gas sit at about $1.92. In Florida, the state average shows $1.87 per gallon. Georgia motorists have the cheapest gas paying an average price of $1.66 per gallon.