Travel is expected to be up during the Memorial Day holiday, but only by about one-percent compared to a year ago. Gail Weinholzer, spokeswoman for Triple-A-Iowa, says gasoline prices are averaging two-77 statewide, that’s about 75-cents a gallon higher than last Memorial Day.
Weinholzer says gasoline prices are part of the reason for the small increase in travelers as it’s also effecting airline fares, which are up about ten-percent from last year, but the motor club is also seeing a five-percent increase in hotel and restaurant charges.
While the high gasoline prices are an annoyance, Weinholzer says most people won’t cancel their travel plans just because of fuel costs. She says even as prices have risen, the demand for gas in the U.S. has not slackened. Many families trim costs elsewhere to make up for the higher gas prices and decide they’re going on vacation, no matter what.
Weinholzer says many Iowans will take their first warm-weather trips of the year and stay close by, perhaps in one of Iowa’s many state parks. She says people are encouraged to take advantage of attractions that are close to home and to make adjustments elsewhere, maybe staying with friends and family instead of in a hotel.
Triple-A estimates 37-point-six million Americans will travel at least 50-miles from home during the holiday, an increase of nine-tenths of one percent from last year.