More than 2.4 million Southern Californians are expected to travel over Labor Day weekend and San Diego will be their top target.
The Auto Club of Southern California is projecting that 2.44 million residents of the region will take trips of 50 miles or more between Thursday and Monday. If that holds it would be a jump of 6 percent over the number of travelers in 2012.
As this year progressed we have seen more and more people coming into the travel marketplace as a result of increased affordability consumer confidence and the importance that a vacation plays in people s lives said Filomena Andre the Auto Club s vice president for travel products and services in a statement accompanying the data.
Most of the travelers will make their journey by car. An estimated 1.93 million Southern Californians are expected to hit the road with most bound for San Diego (A trip by definition has to be 50 miles or more so driving from Los Angeles to Disneyland in Anaheim wouldn't count). Las Vegas San Francisco the Central Coast and the Grand Canyon round out the top five destinations.
The average amount travelers will spend $622 below the national average of $804. Southern Californians are getting a break at the gas pump this year. In San Diego the average price for a gallon of regular gas on Monday was $3.839 the Auto Club reports. That same gallon would have cost $4.065 a month ago and $4.117 a year ago.
Alan Gin an economist at the University of San Diego said the projected increase in travel is a sign of an improving economy.
Traveling is a luxury so if money is really tight than people are not going to travel he said. That s one of the first things they ll cut.
Air travel is also expected to increase this Labor Day weekend with 320 000 expected to take a plane over the weekend. It would be a 4.4 percent increase from last year. Everyone else bus train RV and cruise will add up to 186 000 up from 175 500 last year.
Statewide 3.93 million travelers are expected to take a trip this year up from 3.7 million in last year. Across the country more than 34 million Americans are projected to travel at least 50 miles over the holiday weekend a 4.2 percent jump from last year's 32.7 million.
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