AAA: 9% jump in Labor Day travel in Maryland unless Earl ruins party
Will Hurricane Earl crash Marylanders' Labor Day party? No one knows for certain yet, so with that caveat, AAA Mid-Atlantic today projected an increase of 9.1% in the number of Marylanders traveling for the upcoming holiday. The auto club says more than 600,000 statewide will travel at least 50 miles round-trip from home.
AAA says their predictions are based on historical data and information as of late July. However, Hurricane Earl remains a wild card and may dampen traveler's enthusiasm for a weekend getaway.
“The impact of the hurricane on travel this weekend will depend on what the storm does in the next 48 hours,” said Ragina C. Averella, spokesperson for AAA Mid-Atlantic. “However, whether travelers change their destinations to avoid the storm or the storm misses us all together, the big news is that Marylanders are traveling yet again for another summer holiday weekend, despite the economic hardships many are still facing.”
With gas prices falling and oil prices holding steady, AAA says the average price of a gallon of regular gas is expected to stay around $2.60 heading into the holiday weekend, the lowest level of the summer and at the lowest level since February.
Other projections from AAA Mid-Atlantic include:
-The average distance traveled by Marylanders this Labor Day holiday is expected to be 754 miles round-trip, 119 miles more than nationwide average for holiday travel.
-Median spending is expected to be $731 in Maryland, about 5 percent more than the median spending nationwide
-Most people - 41% - will be traveling with one other adult, while 37% will be traveling with a family or a group
