Listen
AAA Texas tracks annual travel figures and the company estimates 3 million Texans will travel more than 50 miles this coming weekend. Spokesman Doug Shupe says that’s a 2.1 percent increase over last year.
“This marks, actually, a post-recession high, a record, with this 3 million travelers for Memorial Day,” Shupe said. “So the reason why we’re seeing this increase this year is improvements in several key economic factors are driving the expectation for more holiday travelers this year.”
The Memorial Day weekend is considered to be the start of the summer travel season.
“As the econmy continues to improve at a slow but steady pace, consumer spending, disposable income, consumer confidence and the employment outlook are trending up, which is always welcome news for the travel industry,” Shupe said.
Although driving is, by far, the most popular means of holiday travel, AAA Texas estimates an increase of nearly 10 percent in the number of people who will travel by bus, train, or cruise ship this weekend.
