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Despite a high national unemployment rate and a shaky stock market, more Americans (and Oklahomans) are expected to travel on vacation this Memorial Day holiday weekend — the unofficial start of the summer travel season, which runs through Labor Day.
Auto club AAA projects the number of Americans traveling on vacation this weekend will rise 5.4 percent from 2009, with approximately 32.1 million travelers taking a trip away from home. Last year, 30.5 million Americans traveled during the same period.
Those travelers are expected to be more frugal though. This year’s median spending is expected to be $809, a sizeable reduction from a year ago, when Americans reported average spending plans of $1,052.
More Americans are expected to drive this weekend, an increase of 5.8 percent over last Memorial Day weekend.
Nearly 3 percent more Oklahomans will hit the highways over the weekend compared to last year, and a number of those travelers are expected to visit the state’s parks, lakes, recreation areas, campgrounds and RV parks.
“The Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department is expecting a strong Memorial Day weekend across the state and here in Ardmore,” OTRD Executive Director Hardy Watkins said. “The parks are starting to fill up, and bookings are strong at the parks and lodges all across the state.”
“We have many of our customers already here,” said Susie Snider, one of the managers at Lake Murray State Park. “Our campsites are not completely booked up, but we expect to be full by the weekend.”
With good weather forecast for the remainder of the week, Turner Falls Park in Davis is expecting similar strong numbers.
“We’re geared up for a good weekend,” Davis Interim City Manager Tom Graham said. “Our cabins will be full for the holiday weekend, and according to all the phone calls, the indications are we are going to be very busy.”
In Ardmore, a one-day men’s slowpitch softball tournament is scheduled at Regional Park on Saturday, and the annual Barry Burk Championship Junior Roping Roundup is this weekend at Hardy Murphy Coliseum.
Retail gasoline prices fell again Monday as this month’s drop in oil prices continues to work its way to gas retailers.
According to AAA’s Fuel Gauge Report, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline Monday was $2.79, 37.5 cents higher than a year ago. Monday’s Oklahoma price average was $2.64.
Nationwide, AAA predicts air travel will rise with 2.15 million people expected to fly, an increase of 0.24 percent from one year ago. Leisure air travel is expected to decline slightly in Oklahoma, down 0.3 percent from Memorial Day 2009.
“AAA travel agents are reporting double-digit increases in the percentage of travelers making advanced bookings for tours and cruises, hotel bookings via AAA.com are increasing and AAA’s many travel industry partners have reported improved business conditions this spring,” AAA Oklahoma spokesman Chuck Mai said.
“While the economy continues to be rocked by waves of occasional uncertainty, we think the improved economic performance from one year ago will cause more Americans to take vacations this Memorial Day holiday weekend,” he said.
Steve Biehn
(580) 221-6546
Despite a high national unemployment rate and a shaky stock market, more Americans (and Oklahomans) are expected to travel on vacation this Memorial Day holiday weekend — the unofficial start of the summer travel season, which runs through Labor Day.
Auto club AAA projects the number of Americans traveling on vacation this weekend will rise 5.4 percent from 2009, with approximately 32.1 million travelers taking a trip away from home. Last year, 30.5 million Americans traveled during the same period.
Those travelers are expected to be more frugal though. This year’s median spending is expected to be $809, a sizeable reduction from a year ago, when Americans reported average spending plans of $1,052.
More Americans are expected to drive this weekend, an increase of 5.8 percent over last Memorial Day weekend.
Nearly 3 percent more Oklahomans will hit the highways over the weekend compared to last year, and a number of those travelers are expected to visit the state’s parks, lakes, recreation areas, campgrounds and RV parks.
“The Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department is expecting a strong Memorial Day weekend across the state and here in Ardmore,” OTRD Executive Director Hardy Watkins said. “The parks are starting to fill up, and bookings are strong at the parks and lodges all across the state.”
“We have many of our customers already here,” said Susie Snider, one of the managers at Lake Murray State Park. “Our campsites are not completely booked up, but we expect to be full by the weekend.”
With good weather forecast for the remainder of the week, Turner Falls Park in Davis is expecting similar strong numbers.
“We’re geared up for a good weekend,” Davis Interim City Manager Tom Graham said. “Our cabins will be full for the holiday weekend, and according to all the phone calls, the indications are we are going to be very busy.”
In Ardmore, a one-day men’s slowpitch softball tournament is scheduled at Regional Park on Saturday, and the annual Barry Burk Championship Junior Roping Roundup is this weekend at Hardy Murphy Coliseum.
Retail gasoline prices fell again Monday as this month’s drop in oil prices continues to work its way to gas retailers.
According to AAA’s Fuel Gauge Report, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline Monday was $2.79, 37.5 cents higher than a year ago. Monday’s Oklahoma price average was $2.64.
Nationwide, AAA predicts air travel will rise with 2.15 million people expected to fly, an increase of 0.24 percent from one year ago. Leisure air travel is expected to decline slightly in Oklahoma, down 0.3 percent from Memorial Day 2009.
“AAA travel agents are reporting double-digit increases in the percentage of travelers making advanced bookings for tours and cruises, hotel bookings via AAA.com are increasing and AAA’s many travel industry partners have reported improved business conditions this spring,” AAA Oklahoma spokesman Chuck Mai said.
“While the economy continues to be rocked by waves of occasional uncertainty, we think the improved economic performance from one year ago will cause more Americans to take vacations this Memorial Day holiday weekend,” he said.
Steve Biehn
(580) 221-6546
