Huge Travel Jump Expected for Memorial Day Weekend
It's another positive sign that the world is slowly inching its way back to 'normal'.
AAA Auto Club is predicting a huge increase in travel this Memorial Day weekend, compared to the same time frame last year.
Their research indicates that more than 37 million people will venture at least 50 miles from home during the holiday weekend, which is a 60% jump from last year, when people stayed home in record numbers to escape the coronavirus pandemic.
That number is still 13 percent short of pre-COVID Memorial Day figures from 2019.
Air travel will also see a huge boost for the long weekend, as nearly 2.5 million will board planes this Memorial Day weekend, which is nearly six times more than the same period in 2020.
So where are we heading, according to AAA's numbers, Las Vegas and Orlando are the most popular destinations whether it be by car or by air.
MOST POPULAR 2021 MEMORIAL DAY ROAD TRIPS
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Orlando, Florida
- Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Denver, Colorado
- Nashville, Tennessee
MOST POPULAR 2021 MEMORIAL DAY TRAVEL BOOKINGS
- Orlando, Florida
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Honolulu, Hawaii
- Anchorage, Alaska
- Colorado Springs, Colorado
AAA says another key factor in the spike in travel numbers this Memorial Day weekend is the number of Americans now more confident to leave the house thanks to the COVID-19 vaccines.
At least count, the Centers for Disease Control says more than 116 million Americans have been fully vaccinated. That's slightly more than 35 percent of the population.
That percentage is much higher in South Dakota, where the State Department of Health estimates that 335,301 people have been vaccinated, which is nearly half of the state's (49.87 percent) population.