AAA’s first travel forecast for the summer indicates 109,487 Delaware residents will travel 50 miles or more over Memorial Day, a 2.8 percent increase over last year.More than 97,000 Delaware travelers (or 88.7 percent of all local travelers) will drive to their destinations. The Memorial Day holiday travel period is defined as Thursday, May 25 to Monday, May 29.
Gas prices rose several cents in Delaware during the week as OPEC decided to keep production curbs in place and the travel season approached.
“Our region has been teased with sporadic spurts of warm weather over the last few months,” said Ken Grant, manager of public and government affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic, Wilmington. “Delaware residents are looking forward to beginning the summer season and the opportunity to enjoy sun, sand and short sleeves.”
2017 Projected Memorial Day Holiday Travelers
Delaware
|
NUMBER OF TRAVELERS
|
Total Population
|
2017 Travelers
|
Percent of population traveling
|
Percent change vs. 2016
|
|
Delaware TOTAL
<auto, air & other>
|
952,065*
|
109,487
|
11.5%
|
2.8%
|
|
Delaware
(5-county) Auto
|
88.7% of people travel by car
|
97,111
|
10.2%
|
2.6%
|
|
Delaware
(5-county) Air
|
7.8% of people travel by air
|
8,569
|
0.9%
|
6.0%
|
National
|
NUMBER OF TRAVELERS
|
Total Population
|
2017
Travelers
|
% population traveling
|
% change vs. 2016
|
|
National TOTAL
|
325.4 million*
|
39.3 million
|
12.1%
|
2.7%
|
|
National Auto
|
88.1% of people travel by car
|
34.6 million
|
10.6%
|
2.4%
|
|
National Air
|
7.4% of people travel by air
|
2.9 million
|
0.9%
|
5.5%
|
*U.S. Census Bureau/IHS Global Insight
Nationwide, AAA Travel projects 39.3 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from home during the Memorial Day holiday weekend, a 2.7 percent increase last year and the highest travel volume on record.
Three trends from AAA’s 2017 Memorial Day forecast for Delaware:
Road trips rule
More than 97,000 Delaware residents – or 90 percent of local holiday travelers – plan to drive to their destination. This is a 2.6 percent increase over last year.
Air travel climbs
Almost 8,600 First State travelers plan to fly to their Memorial Day destination, representing a 6.0 percent increase from last year.
Stranded motorists
Last Memorial Day weekend (May 26 – May 31, 2016), AAA helped more than 34,000 stranded motorists in the Mid-Atlantic territory with 1,534 of those in Delaware. The most common calls for service were tows, battery and tire issues.
Memorial Day Gas Price Facts and Figures
– $2.33 – Delaware gas average (May 22)
– $2.25 – Delaware gas average Memorial Day 2016
– $2.36 – National gas average (May 22)
– $2.32 – National gas average Memorial Day 2016
