Travel for the July Fourth holiday weekend is expected to reach levels not seen since before the Covid-19 pandemic, as millions of Americans make bucket-list trips or reunite with family and friends after a year-plus of lockdowns and distancing.
With 46% of Americans fully vaccinated, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and mask mandates lifting in theme parks and cities nationwide, the travel industry expects a frenzy from now through Labor Day weekend.
AAA forecasts that some 47 million people are expected to travel from July 1 to 5. This weekend is expected to have the highest auto-travel volume on record, surpassing 2019 levels.
Pent-up demand among travelers has caused shortages and price spikes. Daily rates for rental cars are currently at $166, about a 140% increase from 2019 prices, according to the automobile association. Some will be out of luck because of a surge in demand for road travel continuing from last year and chip shortages causing supply problems at car-rental companies.
Gas prices are expected to be upward of $3 a gallon on average, the most expensive since 2014, according to AAA. Prices soared because of the oil industry’s recovery and climbing consumer demand.