Holiday Weekend Travel Expected to Rise Slightly

By Debora Vrana

Aug. 24, 2005 12 AM PT

Times Staff Writer

Record-high gas prices are putting a damper on travel expectations for Labor Day weekend, according to a AAA survey released Tuesday.

Nationwide, about 34.5 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home during the Labor Day weekend, up 0.9% from the same weekend last year but lagging behind strong year-over-year travel increases during other holidays, the auto group said.

Labor Day travel rose 2.4% last year, compared with a 1.8% increase in 2003’s Labor Day weekend vacationing.

AAA Chief Executive Robert L. Darbelnet blamed the slower growth on soaring fuel prices and an increase in the number of school districts whose fall semesters start before Labor Day, noting, “It’s worth taking steps to save on gasoline and improve fuel economy to soften the sting of the highest-ever summer gas prices.”

The trend also is seen in Southern California, where an estimated 3.7 million people are expected to take a trip during the holiday weekend, a 1.8% increase from the same period last year, according to figures released Tuesday by the Automobile Club of Southern California.

That compares with a 2.2% increase in Labor Day travel last year, a 3.1% increase during this year’s Memorial Day weekend and a 3.4% increase for Thanksgiving 2004, the Auto Club said.

“Gas prices are having a slight impact, but there’s still going to be more people on the road,” said Carol Thorp, a spokeswoman for the Southern California group.

AAA based its travel forecast on a national telephone survey of 1,300 U.S. residents.

Even the slight increase in travelers predicted for Labor Day was seen as good news for the travel industry, given that gas prices nationwide are averaging $2.611 a gallon, 73 cents higher than a year ago.

On Tuesday, the average cost of self-serve regular in Los Angeles County was $2.80 a gallon, compared with $2.11 during Labor Day last year, according to the AAA. In California, which has the highest gas prices of any state except Hawaii, the statewide gas price average Tuesday was $2.798 a gallon.

“We haven’t seen any drop-off in travel from last year,” said Bob Schwab, district manager at the Southern California auto club’s office in West Los Angeles. “People who are determined to go on a vacation and want to use their car are still doing it.” About 80% of Southern California travelers will be going by car, and about 83% of U.S. travelers will take driving trips.

To entice Labor Day travelers, some hotels and car rental agencies are offering cut-rate deals.

For example, Enterprise Rent-A-Car in Southern California is offering 50% off its retail rates for the Labor Day weekend. Reservations are up more than 20% for the weekend from last year, a spokeswoman said.

“We’re actually seeing reservations are about the same as the other holiday weekends this year,” said Duane McMurtrey, vice president of rentals for Enterprise. “Even though the gas prices are high, car rental prices are not.”

The 192-room Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica is offering some deals during part of the holiday weekend, such as a complimentary spa treatment worth $180. Bookings for the holiday were strong as of Tuesday, with only about five rooms still available for Friday and Saturday of the Labor Day weekend, said Armella Stepan, vice president of strategic development for Edward Thomas Management Co., which owns Shutters and the nearby Casa del Mar.

However, Shutters has seen some slowdown in booking for the last week in August. “I think there’s been a little falloff from kids going back to school,” Stepan said.

At the 72-room Pismo Lighthouse Suites in Pismo Beach, where most of the guests come from the Fresno, Bakersfield and Los Angeles areas, “we are pretty quiet at this point,” said Lelayla Ayala, the hotel’s front office manager.

“We’re hoping to sell out at the last minute.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Here they go again

About 34.5 million Americans are expected to travel 50 or more miles from home during Labor Day weekend, according to estimates from AAA.

How they’ll travel

Motor vehicle: 83%

Fly: 12%

Train, bus and other: 5%

What they’ll see

Towns/rural areas: 23%

Ocean/beach: 21%

Cities: 18%