AAA is expecting a lot of holiday travel — just not as much as normal.
Spokesman Shawn Steward regional travel will likely align with national expectations.
Regional car travel may be down 23 percent from last year. Air travel will likely be down 60 percent. Bus, train and cruise travel could be down as much as 88 percent.
Nationally, AAA expects upwards of 34 million fewer travelers, a projected decline of 29 percent from last year. Steward says most people are “playing it safe” this holiday season with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urging Americans not to travel because of the risk of getting and spreading COVID-19.
COVID has hammered the domestic travel industry since February, but Steward believes there will be a rapid increase in travelers once the pandemic ends.
If there is any good news, gas prices remain steady and are among the lowest in the country. Gas prices have been between $1.88 and $2.01 in Emporia for almost three straight months. Statewide, Kansas has the ninth-lowest gas prices in the country at an average of $2.01 a gallon. The national average now is around $2.23 a gallon.
