Memorial Day weekend travel expected in increase over 2021

Nathan Havenner, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.
·2 min read

May 27—Memorial Day weekend travel is expected to increase this year, with both automobile and air travel expected to make significant gains since the COVID-19 pandemic limited holiday travel.

According to AAA, 39.2 million people are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home this weekend.

"Based on our projections, more Americans will be taking to the roads and skies this Memorial Day weekend than in the last several years," AAA East Central Senior Vice President Bevi Powell said.

It is anticipated that there will be an 8.3% increase over 2021 in those traveling, bringing the volume back to nearly pre-pandemic levels.

Automobile travel is expected to be the most popular form of travel over the holiday weekend, with an estimated 1.7 million drivers taking to the roads throughout Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi, a 3.9% increase over 2021.

Air travel is expected to see a 20.6% increase, with an estimated 198,000 people flying in the AAA East Central region. However, the most significant change is for those traveling by bus, train or ship, which is expected to see a 195% increase over last year.

Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport Director Tristan Durbin said he is expecting to see a significant increase in passenger travel this weekend.

"We are expecting a 70% increase," Durbin said. "I believe because of the pandemic, there has been a lot of pent-up travel demand, and we expect that to reflect on air travel."

Sarah Haynes, with Visit Owensboro, said both the Holiday Inn Owensboro Riverfront and Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown Owensboro/Waterfront are seeing an uptick in hotel room reservations for Memorial Day weekend.

"After talking with the two downtown hotels, they say the occupancy is better than it has been the last couple of years," she said. "We are seeing an increase over the last two years that we are excited about.

"The next few months are going to be wonderful. We have a lot of conventions and things."

According to AAA booking data, the three most popular destinations for Memorial Day travel in the United States are Miami, Seattle and Orlando. The three most popular international destinations are Vancouver, Canada, Dublin, Ireland, and Paris, France.