IRVING, TX--(Marketwire - August 29, 2007) - Texans can expect about the same level of crowds
on the roads and at the airport as they did this time last year in the
run-up to Labor Day weekend, according to AAA Texas. About 2.77 million
residents statewide are expected to make end-of-summer getaways this
weekend, slightly more than the 2.76 million who traveled last year.
Of this weekend's travelers, more than 87 percent, or 2.4 million people
statewide, are expected to go by car to their holiday destinations. Another
141,000 travelers are expected to fly. Overall, Labor Day travel in Texas
is expected to increase by less than one-half of one percent.
"Texans still want to travel, but we're not seeing the record increases in
the number of travelers that we experienced in 2004 and 2005," said AAA
Texas spokeswoman Rose Rougeau. "Those past boom years for travel occurred
partly because we experienced pent-up demand for travel that had been
delayed after 9/11 and at the start of the Iraq war. Now, we are in a
period where travel demand is growing, but at a slower rate."
Some other regions of the country -- including states in the Northeast,
Southeast, and Great Lakes areas -- are expected to experience a slight
downturn in the number of Labor Day travelers in comparison to 2006.
Nationally, Labor Day travel is expected to inch up two-tenths of one
percent compared to 2006, with 34.6 million Americans expected to make
getaways this weekend.
The top destinations for Texas travelers, according to a survey of AAA
Travel agents, are:
1) San Antonio
2) Orlando, FL
3) Grand Canyon/other national parks
4) Galveston cruises
5) Mexico
Gas prices in most areas of Texas are at least a few cents lower than they
were at this time last year.
AAA Texas, an affiliate of the American Automobile Association, has been
serving Texans since 1902. Today, more than a million AAA Texas members
benefit from the organization's roadside assistance service, travel agency,
financial products, automotive pricing, buying and financing, trip planning
services, and traffic safety programs. Information about these products
and services is available on AAA Texas' web site at
www.AAA.com.
Contact Information: Contact:
Rose Rougeau
713.284.6552
E-mail: