AAA projects 45 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home for Memorial Day between May 21st and May 25th. This year’s domestic travel forecast is slightly higher than last year with 39.1 million travelers expected to drive, and 3.66 million expected to fly to their destinations. While gas prices are higher than last Memorial Day weekend, average ticket booking prices for flights are lower than last year. However, these prices are based on airfares booked before the Iran conflict began in late February. Since then, rising fuel costs have led to higher ticket prices and surcharges, meaning current fares are likely higher than last year.
More than 158,000 South Dakotans will travel for this Memorial Day holiday. Of those, more than 85% will drive to their destination.
Shawn Steward, Manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA South Dakota, says that “continued economic uncertainties and concerns over rising prices have led to the smallest year-over-year travel growth rate we’ve seen in more than a decade, outside of the COVID impacts in 2020.
