Historic July 4th Travellers 2017

A record-breaking 44.2 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more away from home this 4th of July, 2017…boasting 1.25 million more travelers than last year.

“Combined, strong employment, rising incomes and higher consumer confidence bode well for the travel industry, in particular this Independence Day weekend,” ~~ Bill Sutherland, AAA Sr. VP Travel & Publishing.

The Independence Day holiday travel period is defined as Friday, June 30 to Tuesday, July 4.

By the Numbers: Independence Day Travel Forecast

• Driving – 37.5 million Americans will drive to their destinations, an increase of 2.9 percent over last year.
• Flying – 3.44 million people are taking to the skies this Independence Day, increasing air travel by 4.6 percent over last year.
• Cruises, Trains, Buses – 3.27 million travelers, an increase of 1.4 percent from 2016, will look to other modes of transportation
• Overall – 44.2 million travelers are expected to travel this Independence Day, a 2.9 percent increase over 2016.

Here are several catalysts for the travel record for 2017:

1. Gas prices cheaper than last year – today’s national average price for a gallon of gas at $2.28, prices remain historically low for the summer travel season.
2. More people will drive, fly and use other travel modes –
3. Airfares and car rental rates lower – top 40 domestic flight routes will be 10 percent lower this year, with an average round trip ticket landing at $186.
4. Orlando FL still top Summer travel destination – …and other most-visited locales for 2017 summer travel include:

• Vancouver, Canada
• Cancun, Mexico
• Seattle, Washington
• Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
• Honolulu, Hawaii
• Anaheim, California
• Anchorage, Alaska
• Las Vegas, Nevada
• Montego Bay, Jamaica

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