A new survey from AAA Utah predicts an increase of almost 11 percent in the number of people expected to travel this Labor Day weekend, compared to last year. The travel forecast says that more than 2.6 million Mountain West residents will travel 50 miles or more from their home over the next three days.
"We're seeing an increase in travel, which is a nice change," said AAA Utah spokeswoman Rolayne Fairclough Thursday. "We've seen an increase since the fourth quarter of last year. While the job numbers are disappointing, there are indicators, including travel, that people are feeling more confident" about the economy.
The vast majority — an estimated 2.4 million — will travel by car, with only about 150,000 Mountain West residents planning to travel by air. But that's a 5.4 percent increase compared to last year. Another 50,000 are likely to travel by other modes, including trains, buses and boats. The Deseret News
