RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — If you plan on leaving town this Labor Day weekend, you’re not alone. More than 35 million Americans are expected to travel for the long weekend.
Locally, 972,219 Virginians plan to celebrate the holiday with a final trip before summer comes to a close, with 87 percent going by car, according to U.S. travel association AAA. All that travel is estimated to generate $13.5 billion in spending.
As Labor Day falls on September 7, the latest possible day it can occur, the overall travel growth potential is dampened somewhat this year.
“While strong travel numbers are great news for the industry and economy, our survey shows a decidedly ‘un-laboring’ take on the Labor Day holiday,” says Martha Mitchell Meade, Manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic. “Many would rather spend the holiday at cookouts, relaxing or simply at home to avoid heavy holiday traffic congestion, especially if they have already taken a vacation this summer.”
AAA Mid-Atlantic is preparing for 24,000 or more calls for help this Labor Day holiday. Last year, 4,834 motorists in Virginia motorists needed a rescue.
AAA did an analysis of the top travel searches on their site for the mid-Atlantic region from Memorial Day through the third week of August, which paints a picture of what’s on traveler’s minds:
- Disney
- Local Amusement Parks/Attractions
- Williamsburg, VA
- Niagara Falls
- Ireland
- Philadelphia
- Hawaii
- Las Vegas
- Bermuda
- Orlando
The average price of gas in our area right now is $2.19 a gallon, which is down from about $2.26 last week. That price is also way down from a year ago at this time, when it was at $3.15 a gallon.
Click here to read more about Labor Day travel from AAA.
