The return of AAA’s Memorial Day holiday travel forecast predicts 60% more travelers than last year, still nearly 6 million fewer than pre-pandemic.
AAA Travel expects a significant recovery in the number of Americans planning to travel this Memorial Day holiday weekend. From May 27 through May 31, more than 39.2 million people are expected to travel 50 miles or more from home, an increase of 60% from last year when only 23 million traveled, the lowest on record since AAA began recording in 2000.
The expected strong increase in demand from last year’s holiday, which fell during the early phase of the pandemic, still represents 13%—or nearly 6 million—fewer travelers than in 2019.
AAA booking data reveal that domestic travel and road trips remain the biggest drivers of travel recovery in the near term. Orlando and Las Vegas are top Memorial Day destinations this year, both for AAA Travel bookings and TripTik road trip searches. Other top destinations include the following:
Road Trips:
- Las Vegas, NV
- Orlando, FL
- Myrtle Beach, SC
- Denver, CO
- Nashville, TN
AAA Travel Bookings:
- Orlando, FL
- Las Vegas, NV
- Honolulu, HI
- Anchorage, AK
- Colorado Springs, CO
Huge Increase in Air Travel Expected, but Most Memorial Day Travelers to Take Road Trips
With 39.2 million Americans planning Memorial Day road trips, auto travel is expected to increase 52% compared to 2020. Nearly 12 million more Americans will travel by car this holiday than in 2020, though this is still 9% less than in 2019. More than 9 in 10 Memorial Day travelers will drive to their destinations, as many Americans continue to substitute road trips for travel via planes, trains and other modes of transportation.
