(WXYZ) — Fourth of July travel is expected to be the second-busiest since 2000, according to the latest holiday travel forecast released by AAA this week.
According to the company, it's expected that around 1.7 million Michiganders will travel 50 or more miles during the holiday weekend, which spans from June 30-July 4. That's 10% more than last year, and even slightly more than what it was in 2019.
“The volume of travelers expected over Independence Day is a definite sign that summer travel is kicking into high gear,” said Debbie Haas, Vice President of Travel for AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Earlier this year, we started seeing the demand for travel increase and it’s not tapering off. People are ready for a break and despite things costing more, they are finding ways to still take that much-needed vacation.”
According to AAA, 1.587 million people traveled in 2021 and 1.646 million traveled in 2019.
Despite higher gas prices, car travel is expected to be the busiest in the state, with more than 1.5 million people expected to travel by car. Another 54,000 are expected to travel by air and more than 80,000 traveling in some other form.
“Traveling by car does provide a level of comfort and flexibility that people may be looking for given the recent challenges with flying,” continued Haas. “But not all destinations are within driving distance, which doesn’t mean you have to abandon your vacation plans. The best advice we can give travelers is to consider working with a travel agent who can help plan for the unexpected – like a flight cancelation. They are your best advocate.”
