Over the upcoming holiday weekend, tens of thousands of Iowans will be declaring their independence from their houses and heading off on road trips. Brian Ortner, spokesman for Triple-A Iowa, says travel records are being forecast for the four-day weekend, both for the Midwest and for the nation.
For the nation, Triple-A predicts 50-point-seven million Americans will be traveling over the long weekend, which is over two-million more than over the 4th of July last year. As far as the travel industry is concerned, the pandemic is a distant memory now, as all travel numbers are back to where they were before COVID-19 disrupted the world.
Since the majority of travelers will be in cars, trucks, SUVs and other motor vehicles, gasoline prices are key, and Ortner says compared to a year ago, they’re down considerably.
The financial news isn’t all good for vacationers, though, as Triple-A also says airfares and hotel rates are more expensive than last year.