Experts predict that crowding will be heavy as people head out for the Fourth of July.
Travel for the July Fourth holiday weekend is expected to reach levels not seen since before the Covid-19 pandemic, as millions of Americans make bucket-list trips or reunite with family and friends after a year-plus of lockdowns and distancing, according to a report by Krystal Hur and Allison Pohle in the Wall Street Journal.
With 46% of Americans fully vaccinated, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and mask mandates lifting in theme parks and cities nationwide, the travel industry expects a frenzy from now through Labor Day weekend.
AAA forecasts that some 47 million people are expected to travel from July 1 to 5. This weekend is expected to have the highest auto-travel volume on record, surpassing 2019 levels.
Pent-up demand among travelers has caused shortages and price spikes. Daily rates for rental cars are currently at $166, about a 140% increase from 2019 prices, according to the automobile association. Some will be out of luck because of a surge in demand for road travel continuing from last year and chip shortages causing supply problems at car-rental companies.
Gas prices are expected to be upward of $3 a gallon on average, the most expensive since 2014, according to AAA. Prices soared because of the oil industry’s recovery and climbing consumer demand.
See the full Wall Street Journal story here.
