AAA Travel says Travelers are Adjusting Summer Travel Plans in
Response to High Gas Prices
Travelers will change plans, but won’t shy away from travel overall
Helena, Mont. July 28, 2008 – Two new surveys of AAA travel agency and auto travel managers reveal that rising fuel prices are affecting Americans’ travel plans this summer. From one-on-one interactions with AAA members, 95 percent of AAA auto travel managers say that high gas prices will cause travelers to alter their vacation plans this summer. AAA auto travel managers cited travelers taking trips closer to home-also called “staycations”, taking fewer trips, and reducing the number of vacation days traveled as the top ways that Americans will adjust their travel plans this summer.
When asked about destinations that most frequently provide the most attractive bargains or best values for summer travel, AAA travel agency managers identified the following: Las Vegas; Orlando/Walt Disney World, Fla.; Branson, Missouri; Anaheim/Disneyland; and San Francisco. International destinations identified as best for bargains and value are: the Caribbean; European Cruises; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; South America; and Costa Rica.
When comparing AAA’s 2007 and 2008 summer travel surveys, AAA travel agency managers nationally identified the following locations as this summer’s top five domestic and international vacation destinations:
Domestic by air:
(Excluding Canada & Mexico)
2008 |
2007 |
1. Orlando |
1. Orlando |
2. Las Vegas |
2. Las Vegas |
3. New York |
3. Seattle |
4. Los Angeles |
4. New York |
5. Washington, D.C. |
5. Los Angeles/Orange County |
International by air:
2008 |
2007 |
1. Rome |
1. Rome |
2. London |
2. London |
3. Cancun |
3. Vancouver |
4. Dublin |
4. Cancun |
5. Vancouver |
5. Paris |
In AAA MountainWest territory (Alaska, Montana and Wyoming), travel agents and auto travel counselors identified the top travel destinations for the summer of 2008 as: California, Alaska, Washington, Mexico, the Oregon Coast and Yellowstone National Park.
AAA is the largest full service, leisure travel agency in North America, generating more than $4 billion in sales. Travelers can access full-service travel planning at 1,100 AAA retail offices and on AAA.com. In addition, AAA is the premier provider of travel information and trip planning tools including print and online versions of maps, TourBook® guides, TripTik® routings, and low member pricing on reservations at AAA Diamond Rated hotels.
AAA MountainWest Club, is dedicated to providing its more than 160,000 members in Alaska, Montana and Wyoming with travel, insurance, financial, and auto-related services. A fully taxpaying, not for profit corporation, AAA MountainWest, Inc. strives for improvement of motoring and traveling conditions, and is a leader for travel, civic and safety issues. AAA can be visited on the Internet at www.AAA.com.
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