NEW YORK (AP) — Cheaper gas won’t be enough to get many
more Americans on the road this summer. They’re still too worried about
their jobs and the economy.
Economists and tourism experts are
expecting only a small uptick in summer travelers. Gas prices are still
high enough to keep some lower-income Americans at home. The job market
is improving, but still shaky. And household debt remains high.
A
number of travelers will drive because they can’t afford to fly. The
bulk of road trippers, experts say, will choose shorter trips, reduce
food and entertainment expenses or stay closer to home to conserve cash.
For
Memorial Day weekend, auto club AAA predicts that 34.8 million
Americans will take trips of at least 50 miles. That’s up 1.2 percent
from summer’s opening weekend in 2011.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
NEW YORK (AP) — Cheaper gas won’t be enough to get many
more Americans on the road this summer. They’re still too worried about
their jobs and the economy.
Economists and tourism experts are
expecting only a small uptick in summer travelers. Gas prices are still
high enough to keep some lower-income Americans at home. The job market
is improving, but still shaky. And household debt remains high.
A
number of travelers will drive because they can’t afford to fly. The
bulk of road trippers, experts say, will choose shorter trips, reduce
food and entertainment expenses or stay closer to home to conserve cash.
For
Memorial Day weekend, auto club AAA predicts that 34.8 million
Americans will take trips of at least 50 miles. That’s up 1.2 percent
from summer’s opening weekend in 2011.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.