Florida travelers are forecast to set new records for Memorial Day
Floridians are forecast to travel in record numbers for Memorial Day weekend. According to AAA’s 2023 Memorial Day Travel Forecast. Nearly 2.4 million Floridians will journey 50 miles or more.
That’s 172,000 more than last year and 96,000 more than before the pandemic, in 2019. The Memorial Day holiday travel period is defined as the five-day period from Thursday, May 25 to Monday, May 29.
This comes on the heels of news that Florida gas prices dropped another 8 cents per gallon last week. The state average has now declined three consecutive weeks, for a total discount of 24 cents per gallon, since mid-April, to $3.48 per gallon of regular unleaded. We sit at $3.42 per gallon here in Osceola County, the cheapest among Orange, Seminole, Brevard and Polk.
Florida travel numbers are set to reach new record highs in both the auto and air travel categories. An estimated 2.1 million Floridians will drive, which is 137,000 more than last year. Meanwhile, 208,000 are forecast to fly, which is 25,000 more passengers than last year.
“Memorial Day weekend is the kickoff to what promises to be a very busy summer travel season,” said Debbie Haas, Vice President of Travel for AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Despite various inflationary pressures, consumer spending is strong, and Americans still want to travel. Because of that, we’ve seen demand come roaring back, beyond pre-pandemic levels in Florida.”
Despite higher ticket prices, — booking data shows a 40% increase in airfares — demand for flights is soaring. AAA predicts the strongest air travel numbers since 2005. Nearly 3.4 million travelers are expected to fly for the holiday weekend. That’s 33,700 (11%) more passengers than last year, and 170,000 (5.4%) more than in 2019.
Friday, May 26 will be the busiest day on the roads, according to INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights. The best times to travel by car, during the holiday weekend, will be in the morning or evening after 6 p.m. The lightest traffic days will be Saturday and Sunday.
