Worries over higher gasoline prices and double-digit unemployment rates will drive down Memorial Day weekend travel among Southern Californians.
A survey released Monday by the Automobile Club of Southern California predicts 2.5 million Southern Californians will travel this Memorial Day weekend, a 2.3% drop from last year's holiday period, which marks the traditional start of the summer vacation season.
The report signals more bad news for the struggling travel and tourism industry. The annual Memorial Day travel projections have not shown a robust rise since 2005.
In California, gasoline prices jumped an average of 10 cents in the last week for a gallon of regular self-serve gasoline to $2.524, according to the Department of Energy's weekly gas station survey released Monday. Still, that represents a 36% drop in price from the same time last year.
Gas prices statewide are climbing faster than nationwide. The national average price jumped 6.9 cents a gallon in the last week to $2.309, the government survey said. Phoenix had the lowest average gas price in the nation with $1.99 a gallon, while Chicago had the highest at $2.63, the survey reported.
"Lower gas prices and plentiful bargains offered by travel providers are also helping to keep trips affordable, which is probably why we haven't seen an even greater dip in holiday travel," said Jeffrey Spring, a spokesman for the auto club.
Among Southern Californians, Las Vegas ranked as the top destination for the Memorial Day weekend, followed by San Diego, San Francisco, Arizona and California's Central Coast, according to the auto club's survey.
Last year, Mexico ranked among the top five destinations for Southern Californians but was bumped off the charts by the recent outbreak of the H1N1 flu, which has killed 68 people in Mexico. Most major cruise lines halted stops to Mexican ports last month and only one, Carnival Cruise Lines, announced plans to return this summer.
Still, travel industry experts say all indications signal that, despite a tough economy, travelers are resolute about taking time off this Memorial Day weekend and are saving money by staying closer to home or cutting back on expenses.
Royal Cochran, a federal employee from Inglewood, said he normally visits family in Chicago or Seattle during the holiday. But this year he plans to save money by staying in Southern California, visiting friends and perhaps attending a barbecue.
