Memorial Day travel volume consistent with 2007

DENVER, May 15 — A large percentage of people will travel in Colorado and the U.S. this Memorial Day and summer travel season, despite a rise in some travel costs.

AAA estimates that 9.148 million people in the western segment of the United States (including Colorado) will travel 50 or more miles away from home for Memorial Day weekend, compared to 9.155 million in 2007, a decrease of only .01 percent.

Nationally, AAA estimates 37.87 million Americans will travel 50 or more miles away from home, a decrease of 360,000 or .09 percent.

“A large number of travelers will be hitting the roads and airports for this upcoming Memorial Day holiday,” said Sandra Barnes, AAA Colorado’s Director of Travel Services. “While national projections for people traveling compared to last year are down, we are seeing nearly the same number of Coloradans planning summer and Memorial Day travel.”

Air, hotel and rental car bookings with AAA Colorado’s travel agency are only slightly lower for Memorial Day and summer travel compared to 2007.

Compared to last year, AAA’s 2008 Leisure Travel Index for Memorial Day shows: Hotel rates for AAA Three Diamond-rated hotels (moderately priced) are down 3 percent in Denver and 7 percent nationally.

Rental rates for an intermediate car have risen an average of 10 percent in Denver (from $39 per day to $49) and 45 percent nationally (from $30.90 to $44.70)

The national average round-trip airfare rate is up eight percent, from $165.88 to $179.08.

The average price of a gallon of regular unleaded in Colorado is up 44 cents compared to last year. The average cost of filling a 15 gallon tank with regular unleaded in Colorado is $55.50 compared to $48.90 last year.

According to AAA’s online fuel cost calculator available at www.fuelcostcalculator.com, a roundtrip journey between Denver and Rocky Mountain National Park will cost $16.50 in regular unleaded for a common mid-size car. Last year it cost $14.55 in regular unleaded gasoline. A roundtrip between Colorado Springs and Denver will cost $16.00 for regular unleaded, compared to $14.16 last year.

“Travelers have the perception that there have been large cost increases this year. However, costs are only slightly higher in most areas,” said Barnes. “Our survey information shows most people still value summer travel and are cutting out other expenses before they cut out travel.”

The five most popular out-of-state destinations this summer, based on bookings through AAA Colorado are Orlando (Disney World); Seattle (summer cruises); Orange County, California (Disneyland); Nassau, Bahamas; and Cancun, Mexico. The five most popular in-state destinations are Denver, Colorado Springs, Durango, Grand Junction and Boulder.

Eighty-three percent of all holiday travelers are expected to travel by automobile, a one percent decrease from the approximately 32 million people who drove a year ago. Eleven percent of holiday travelers plan to fly this holiday weekend; a decrease of 0.5 percent from the 4.37 million who took to the skies last year. The West is expected to have the largest number of air travelers with 1.37 million. About 1.8 million Americans intend to travel by train, bus or other mode of transportation.

Research for Memorial Day weekend holiday travel projections are derived from the Travel Industry Association (TIA)’s Holiday Travel Forecast Model. The model was developed based on consumer travel intentions and the TIA’s quarterly travel forecast data. The travel intentions data is collected through an online survey of over 2,000 U.S. adults nationwide, supplemented by an additional 6,500 Americans surveyed from the top 10 states of travel origin in the United States. Historical travel volume and other economic data such as GDP, disposable income, employment and travel costs such as fuel price are also incorporated into the model. Analysis of the data and the forecasts are produced by the Travel Industry Association, which conducts special research for AAA.

AAA Colorado has more than 525,000 members in Colorado and is an advocate for safety and security for all travelers. As North America’s largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides nearly 51 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services, as well as member-exclusive savings. AAA can be visited on the Internet at www.AAA.com.