Memorial Day Travel Expected to Rebound

More people are expected to hit the road this Memorial weekend.

Last year travel for the holiday hit historic lows due to the Coronavirus pandemic with fewer than 900,000 Ohioans traveling. This year, the number of Ohioans traveling by car is expected to be 52 percent higher at nearly 1.6 million. That is still nine percent less then in 2019.

“As things are starting to open up more people are getting vaccinated. There is more confidence and more people are getting out there,” said Sr. Manager of Public Affairs for AAA Kimberly Schwind. “There is pent up demand for travel, so we’re going to see a surge in travel with huge increases in over the Memorial Day weekend and really over the summer as well.

Schwind reminds those traveling that more planning will need to take place.

“The supply hasn’t necessarily kept up. You’re going to have to make sure you are planning ahead, making those reservations, talking with a travel agent because things are still uncertain,” explained Schwind. “We don’t know exactly what is going to happen and so it’s a good idea to make sure you have those flexible cancellation plans.”

The top five locations for vacations include Orlando, Florida, Las Vegas, Honolulu, Anchorage and Colorado Springs. Many other Ohioans plan to stay in Columbus, Cincinnati and Cleveland as well as nearby sites like Nashville, Tennessee, Indianapolis and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

You can check the AAA Trip Tik site for the latest Covid restrictions. The Memorial travel season starts May 27 and runs through the 31st.