Jaunted

Labor Day Travel

Labor Day Non-Travel: Americans Bailing on Late-Summer Trips

August 23, 2008 at 1:41 PM | 0 Comments

Labor Day is a major travel holiday in the U.S., with millions of people hitting the road for one last taste of summer before the clouds roll in. But, as a recent Reuters item points out, plenty of Yanks will be sitting this one out, staying close to home rather than shelling out for gas, airfare, and myriad other travel expenses. The travel and auto group AAA estimates that the number of people traveling more than 50 miles from their homes this year will drop by nearly one percent, following similar declines around Memorial Day and Independence Day.

In an almost too-perfect sound bite, one non-traveler sums up the situation thusly:

"I just can't afford it," said 26-year-old Ashley Tyrrell, who plans to skip her annual end-of-summer trek from her home in Overland Park, Kansas, to a family cabin in Wisconsin. "I work full time. But food, gas, everything has just gone through the roof," said Tyrrell. "It's horrible. Congress is on vacation and they're probably soaking up the rays somewhere. We're soaking up high gas prices."

Darn Congress! The kicker of the story, though, is that New Yorkers are "bucking the trend" and traveling more than the rest of the country. Going along with our black-clad herd, we will indeed be leaving Gotham for a couple of days in Washington D.C. Here's hoping the travel industry slowdown makes things just a wee bit cheaper for those of us who still have to go.

[Photo: ew.com]

Related Stories:
· Americans Skip Labor Day Trips as Costs Rise [Reuters]
· Labor Day Travel Coverage [Jaunted]