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Memorial Day travel forecast: Slightly more drivers

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By RICH SHOPES | The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 12, 2009

Updated: 05/12/2009 04:38 pm

TAMPA - AAA is forecasting a slight increase in Memorial Day weekend travel thanks to comparatively lower gas prices.

"Last year with high gas prices, a lot of people stayed home and missed out, and I don't think people want to miss out two years in a row," AAA Auto Club South spokeswoman Jessica Brady said.

Gas was $3.57 a gallon for regular unleaded this time last year and close to $4 a gallon by Memorial Day weekend.

AAA says lower prices and pent-up demand will persuade more Americans to hit the road this holiday period.

The auto club estimates a slight 1.5 percent uptick in travel nationally and a 3.1 percent jump in Florida.

About 83 percent of the 1.6 million who are expected to travel in Florida will drive. About 7 percent will fly and 10 percent travel by train or bus, AAA says.

This comes despite recent price surges at the pump due to refineries switching to costlier summer blends. The average cost for a gallon of unleaded has spiked by 15 cents in the past week to $2.24 a gallon in Florida.

Even so, that's still considerably lower than last year's prices, said Brady.

Walter Klages, president of Tampa-based Research Data Services Inc., which provides economic analysis to the tourism and travel industries, said the projections could point to an improving economy, however slight.

"I think what's really begun to change is the level of confidence," he said. "The sentiment is not as gloomy and visceral about where we're going."

Reporter Rich Shopes can be reached at (813) 259-7633.

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