US travel pace slows this year
US travel over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays will rise less than one percent over last year, the slowest rate of growth in five years amid soaring fuel prices, AAA said predicted.
Some 65.2 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more during the busiest travel period of the year, up from 64.7 million last year in the slowest growth since travel slipped in 2002, AAA said in its survey of 2,200 adults.
“Whether driving or flying, Americans face steep increases in their travel budgets during this Christmas-New Year’s holiday,” said Robert L. Darbelnet, president of AAA.
“Gasoline prices remain at unprecedented levels for this time of the year with prices of $3 a gallon or more a common sight across much of the country,” he said.
Some 53 million of the holiday travelers expect to go by car, up almost one percent from last year, while 8.9 million will fly, down slightly from a year ago, according to AAA.
Report by David Wilkening
David
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