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AAA: July 4th Travel to Decrease
AAA: July 4th Travel to Decrease
Nov 2, 2024 4:38 AM

(Thinkstock)

The timing of this year's July 4th holiday will lead to a slight decline in travel, according to the 2013 AAA Independence Day Holiday Travel Forecast.

AAA Travel projects that 40.8 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from home during the Independence Day holiday, a 0.8 percent decrease from the 41.1 million people who traveled last year. The anticipated decline in holiday travel is largely due to a shorter holiday period, according to the organization. With the Fourth of July landing on a Thursday this year, the holiday period has returned to the standard five-day holiday, compared to the six-day period in 2012 when the holiday fell on a Wednesday.

Decade-high travel volume occurred in 2007 when 42.3 million Americans traveled and the holiday also fell on a Wednesday. The Independence Day holiday travel period is defined as Wednesday, July 3 to Sunday, July 7.

"The projection is due to the calendar effect of one fewer day in the holiday period and economic growth that is not robust enough to offset the impact of the sequester and the effect of the end of the payroll tax cut on American families," said AAA President and CEO Robert L. Darbelnet.

Drabelnet also pointed out that Independence Day is typically the busiest holiday of the summer travel season, with 6 million more Americans traveling than Memorial Day, especially since schools are out of session.

Eighty-four percent of travelers (34.4 million) are expected to travel by automobile, a decrease of 0.7 percent from 34.7 million last year, while holiday air travel is expected to increase slightly to 3.07 million from 3.06 million in 2012.

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