TAMPA BAY, Florida (Tampa Bay Now) – Nearly 2.4 million Floridians are expected to take journeys of at least 50 miles, according to the AAA. That number surpasses last year’s at 172,000 and surpasses pre-pandemic levels in 2019 at 96,000 travelers.
This year’s travel trends show an increase in both car and air travel. 208,000 people are expected to fly, 25,000 more than last Memorial Day. Drivers are expected to reach 2.1 million statewide.
Despite several inflationary pressures, consumer spending remains strong and demand for Florida travel has soared, painting a promising picture for the tourism industry.
While the state of Florida is on the cusp of record traveler numbers, national numbers are slightly below pre-pandemic levels. An estimated 42.3 million Americans will travel this weekend. Although this number is higher than last year, it falls short of the reported figures in 2019.
Despite higher ticket prices, the demand for flights is increasing enormously. The silver lining for road travelers is that gas prices have fallen in recent weeks, providing some relief at the pumps. Experts say it’s too early to know if that fuel downward trend will continue leading up to the start of summer, but prices are unlikely to come close to the state average that holiday travelers last year paid fifty-seven a year. gallon.
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