by Donald Wood
Last updated: 10:20 AM ET, Mon June 26, 2023
A new study is projecting that 50.7 million Americans will
travel 50 miles or more from home during the Fourth of July holiday travel
period, a number that would become the new record for Independence Day weekend.
According to data from AAA Travel, domestic travel in the United
States over the long weekend will increase by 2.1 million people compared to
2022 and should pass the 2019 total of 49 million American travelers.
Car travel is also expected to reach record levels, with AAA
predicting 43.2 million people will drive to their destinations during the
holiday period, an increase of 2.4 percent from 2022 and four percent higher
than 2019.
As for the number of Americans taking to the skies for Independence
Day, data suggests a record 4.17 million Americans will fly to their
destinations during the holiday travel period, a jump of 11.2 percent over 2022
and 6.6 percent from 2019.
“We’ve never projected travel numbers this high for
Independence Day weekend,” AAA Travel Senior Vice President Paula Twidale said.
“What this tells us is that despite inventory being limited and some prices 50%
higher, consumers are not cutting back on travel this summer.”
“Many of them heeded our advice and booked early, another
sign of strong travel demand,” Twidale continued.
AAA also expects 3.36 million people will travel by bus,
cruise or train during the Fourth of July, an increase of 24 percent over last
year. While more travelers are turning to these modes this year, the number is
not expected to surpass 2019’s 3.54 million.
Prices for travel in 2023 are up overall, with airline fares
up 40-50 percent compared to last year and hotel stays up slightly over 2022,
but car rental prices are down slightly from last year.
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